Unstable Loose Ends
by Clori-Eden
Summary: When the two Brothers finally make it home, they soon find out that their parents won't be back for another week. During this time, Shigeo falls very ill. Fearing he might loose his brother, Ritsu had no other choice but to rely on Reigen for help but they soon find out that they aren't the only ones who have been watching over Mob in his unstable condition.
1. Chapter 1: Outbreak

**Author's Note:**

 **Okay this is it. I've been writing this story for a while and I couldn't wait any longer. I wanted to at least post the first chapter and see where it goes from there. This is my first Fanfic so hope it turned out okay, enjoy!**

* * *

 **Chapter 1: Outbreak**

It was a cool early morning, the sun had yet fully risen leaving a monochromatic blue covering the atmosphere followed by the sounds of birds chirping announcing the start of a new day. The quiet, tranquil mood made it hard to believe that just recently the city was in a state of emergency as a result from Claw's acts of terrorism. But that was over now, all thanks to the young psychic, Shigeo Kageyama, who now rested on his brother's back as they made their way back home.

"We're almost home brother." Ritsu informed his sibling, whose head hung comfortably from his shoulder. He felt his older brother shift before mumbling an okay.

Shigeo was still exhausted after his long struggle against Claw's Boss. The overuse of his psychic powers rendered him weak and feeble. Ritsu wished nothing but a relaxing day for Shigeo, he deserved it after all. When they finally got home Ritsu gently placed Shigeo on the couch in the living room.

"Thanks, Ritsu." Shigeo smiled. It was a bit chilly in the room probably because the heat hadn't been turned on. He analyzed his surrounding, looking past the dining table he noticed some boxes that laid on the floor, organized and fully labeled. "Ah, I thought it had felt a bit empty," he mused.

"Yeah they fixed the house up pretty nicely but," Ritsu paused as he started unpacking one box labeled kitchen. "As for our belongings, we will need to place everything back the way it was on our own before Mom and Dad come back home."

Shigeo stood up from the couch also making his way over to the boxes. He tried picking one up but realized he didn't have the strength to do so. Even with all the exercises he had done in the body improvement club, Shigeo was disappointed that he still couldn't do such a simple task. Ritsu noticed this and immediately went to his brother's aid.

"It's ok brother, I'll handle this. You should rest." urged Ritsu, picking up the box Shigeo had under him with ease.

Shigeo appreciated his brother's concern but he felt perfectly capable of handling stuff on his own. "I want to help," insisted Shigeo, his stare was almost a silent demand, showing no signs of backing down. It was enough to make Ritsu comply.

"Okay," Ritsu sighed, He knew his brother had a strong resolve. He could see how determined Shigeo felt about this and he didn't want to keep patronizing him.

Shigeo lifted the smallest box he could find which was labeled bathroom and slowly carried it down the hallway. The young esper didn't mind doing chores, it kept him busy. He hummed to himself as he opened the cardboard container filled with cleaning utensils, such as a plunger, towels and various brushes. All things anyone would expect a normal bathroom to have. It didn't take him long to organize the items and head back to join his brother.

They continued to clean around the house together, Ritsu would handle most of the heavier boxes, while Shigeo adjusted the best he could but in the end he resorted to using his psychic powers to move things around. The young esper didn't notice how much strain he was causing to his body with each passing minute he spent focusing his telekinesis. Shigeo was already drenched in sweat, he panted lightly, his bangs stuck to his moist forehead and his body trembled. It hadn't even past an hour and he already felt drained of energy.

"I-I think I'm...going to take a break." Shigeo said all while gasping for air, his back bent with his hands clasped onto his knees. He felt heavy, like if someone was holding him down and pulling him hard from his shoulders. Maybe he really was tired, the young esper thought to himself.

It wasn't surprising to Ritsu, his brother never did well with physical activities. "It can't be helped, you shouldn't over exert yourself brother. How about you go upstairs and change out of your school uniform, I'll start the bath."

"Um, okay." nodded the weary boy.

Ritsu carefully observed the unsteady movements of his brother who slowly made his way to the base of the stairs. He wondered if he'd be okay on his own after reluctantly leaving his side. The dark haired esper entered the kitchen, his stomach growled, reminding him that they hadn't eaten anything since they arrived home. "Brother must be hungry too." Ritsu said, opening the fridge. Nothing. Of Course, why did he think there'd be any food left after the fire? "I guess we'll be ordering take out later." he sighed unsatisfied, times like this made him wish his parents were around.

He turned back around taking his first real look at the house. It was still a mess, empty cardboard covered the floor, table and chairs along with some miscellaneous items. It was as if they had moved here for the the first time. Ritsu smiled, reminiscing the day they entered their new home. Him and his older brother would play hide and seek in the mess of boxes while their parents unpacked. That was nine years ago. He was sadly interrupted from the sound of the ringing. At least the house phone worked fine.

"Hello, Kageyama residence. Oh, hey Mom. Sorry, my cell must be dead. Yes, everything is okay here. Yes Mom, brother is fine..."

Shigeo was not fine, actually he felt far worse than he has ever been. Climbing up those stairs just proved what little stamina he had left in him as he took a moment to catch his breath again. When he got to his room, Shigeo couldn't shake this feeling of uneasiness, he felt unusually warm, recalling the last time he had set foot in here was the day of the fire.

Mob 12%

He closed his eyes, remembering the harsh flames that threatened the comfort of his home and the life of his family. Remembering the loud roar of the blistering heat, smoldering, destroying everything in sight, inching closer and closer, trying to grab ahold of him. His flashback slowly became reality when the flames engulfed his body. Shigeo's skin was burning hotter and hotter. He tried to scream but choked as his torso constricted making it harder for him to breathe. It's hot. Why was this happening? It's hot. Who would someone want to harm him and his family? It's hot. He couldn't think straight. Hot, it's hot, hot, hot, hot!

Mob 18%

Suddenly, there was a familiar ringing sound in the far distance that snapped Shigeo back into reality. The house phone? He shot his eyes open, hyperventilating, hot sweat rolling from his almost red face in contrast to the cool air of the room. The dazed boy blinked a few times in confusion, finally grasping what was transpiring around him.

Everything in his room was levitating and whirling around in a circular motion, unaware that his hallucination had subconsciously triggered his psychic abilities. Shigeo was at his limit when his legs ultimately gave out and the boy fell to the floor. Furniture and other objects immediately stopped, dropping as well. A sharp pain pierced through his small frame causing shigeo to clench his fist and toes. He slowly curled into a protective ball, chills shook him to the bone as his body temperature skyrocketed.

Mob 25%

"It hurts...it h-hurts..." the young esper cried, tasting the salt of his tears as they streamed down his warm cheeks passing his lips. The knot in his chest tightened and he shrieked in pain before calling out for help.

"Ritsu!" Shigeo waited helplessly, staring at the door. He tried again, his voice more shaky from the rising anxiety, "...R-Ritsu...!" His eyes peered upward once again, watching the door, waiting but the sibling never came. There was no way his younger brother could hear his small cries from all the way downstairs, behind the closed doors of his room. He was alone.

Mob 28%

Silence drowned the room. The only sound that could be heard was the thumping of his own heartbeat, the blood flowing through his veins, his small inconsistent breathes that struggled to keep him conscious. He was slowly but surely fading. Shigeo reached into his pocket pulling out his cell phone; his final attempt for help. He clicked his most recent contact on his call log and let it dial. It rang, and rang, and rang and rang for what felt like eternity until he eventually gave in, letting the darkness gradually envelop him.

"Help...Master..."

Ritsu had said his goodbyes before hanging up the phone with his parents. They told him that they were enjoying their vacation and apparently wouldn't be back for another whole week. He didn't know how to feel about that except maybe a bit disappointed; he was looking forward to his Mom's cooking again. She had told him that there should be some emergency money in her dresser but there was no way it had survived the fire.

The bathtub was nearly full, nice herbal hot water steamed up the bathroom. The warm temperature was comforting, relaxing. Its sweet aroma was inviting, even for Ritsu, who started to feel pretty tired himself. He yawned, placing fresh new towels on the side for his brother to use, then turned off the tub faucet before exiting the bathroom.

"Brother your bath is ready!" Ritsu shouted. It had been ten minutes, he should be finished by now. Ritsu wondered what could be taking him so long. It was odd enough that he hadn't responded back. Maybe he fell asleep, thought Ritsu, already half way up the stairs. He knocked on Shigeo's door. "Brother? You okay?" There was no answer. "I'm coming in." Ritsu entered the room and what he saw next caught him by surprise. Nothing could prepare the younger esper from seeing his brother lying face down, passed out on the floor, the room wrecked like a heavy storm had past.

"BROTHER!" Ritsu's heart skipped a beat, a million questions ran through his mind as he rushed to his motionless brother. Before even touching him, his frail body radiated with heat. "You're burning up!" He grabbed Shigeo turning him over until he was upright in his arms, his brother's head fell slump, eyes closed. He quickly unbuttoned his sibling school jacket, throwing it to the side, leaving only his white short sleeved shirt.

Shigeo shivered at the sudden change in temperature, his consciousness resurfacing. The esper squinted his eyes, he could barely register his younger brother's face as he tried hard to focus. Sound was slowly coming back to him and he could hear someone calling out to him but everything was still a blur.

"Brother! Brother! Say something! Please brother! Brother! Shige snap out of it!" Ritsu was in a panic, lightly shaking the weaker boy who had closed his eyes once more. "Shit, stay with me!" He ordered, tapping his face forcing him to stay awake.

"Rit...su?"

"Big brother, I'm here! What happened, are you hurt? Speak to me!"

A small spark of relief filled Shigeo's droopy eyes. He wasn't alone after all. His feelings of content was short lived though, he gripped his chest where it ached heavily, quivering. "I don't...feel so good, Ritsu. It's cold."

"You're running a fever," Ritsu informed him, concern clear in his voice. He pulled Shigeo's arm over his shoulder, "Can you stand?" he waited for Shigeo's small nod then, held him by the waist, lifting him as Ritsu stood up. With the room being such a miserable mess, there was no way he could have his brother rest in here.

The brothers left the bedroom never realizing the small voice coming from the abandoned phone on the floor.

They only walked a few footsteps down the hallway to the room next door, entering Ritsu's room. Whoever had rebuilt their house really left no rooms for flaws. His room was almost a spitting image of what it used to be, long bookshelf on the left side followed by a desk that stood next to the window. On the right side was Ritsu's bed. Unlike Shigeo's traditional japanese futon that laid flat on the floor, Ritsu had a regular mattress on a modern bed frame that stood a foot suspended from the floor.

Ritsu helped Shigeo settle on the soft mattress. Quickly, the younger sibling ran downstairs to the bathroom, grabbing any small towel in sight, soaking it in cold water. He stopped by the kitchen to pour a cup of water before rushing back upstairs.

A hand brushed back the straight bangs that hung just above Shigeo's sweating forehead. The cool touch of the wet towel caused him to jerk his head to the side. Then, a thin blanket was pulled over him and he didn't waste any time to snug it closer.

"I'm sorry brother, you're going to have to cope with this for now." That was the best Ritsu could do to ease his shivering. Any warmer than that and Ritsu feared his fever may worsen. Without any medicine in the house, he wasn't sure what would happen if his brother didn't get any better.

"It's okay, Ritsu. I trust that you know what to do, you always do?" Shigeo said with a weary smile, completely overlooking how obviously stressed out his brother was.

Ritsu stood silent. He seemed to dwell on those words more than necessary. What did his big brother see in him anyway? He didn't feel he deserved all this praise he got from his family like they were labeling him something before he even had a chance to decide for himself. It was an overwhelming burden for him to keep up with their high expectations.

"I...um..." Ritsu was at a loss for words, the awkward silence along with his brother's endless stare was eating away at him. He needed a distraction, this was no time to be self-pitying himself, not while Shigeo was sick like this. Ritsu nervously gripped the rounded plastic in his hands, the sound of the squeezed material caused him to glance down at the item he held so desperately. "Oh, I almost forgot. Here, I brought you some water to drink," he said finally.

Shigeo temporarily removed the wet cloth on his head and steadily sat himself up with the help of his brother. He took the cup gratefully, emptying the contents as swiftly as he had received it. His brother was more dehydrated than anticipated.

"I'm sorry big brother, I should have known that you'd be thirsty all this time. Let me get you some more water." Ritsu grabbed the cup from his hand.

"That's the second time..."

"Huh..? What is?" Ritsu turned back to his brother, concerned.

"Never mind." he quickly answered. "It's nothing." Shigeo turned his head down to the side, the life in his eyes were lost in thought.

"O-Okay," he didn't want to pry. "I'll only be gone for a minute, just please stay in bed and get some rest." Ritsu paused. "You know I'll always be here if you need to talk about anything." he added before leaving the room.

"You can talk to me too, Ritsu."

Shigeo let himself fall back into the comfort of the bed, his body still ached all over. He stared up blankly at the ceiling, wondering what it felt like to be healthy again. Why did he feel so terrible? Could overusing his psychic abilities really cause such a huge repercussion? How was it possible to affect his body physically anyway? If only he knew the answer.

"Ugh...I don't get it."

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 **Author's Notes:**

 **Phew... I hope the first chapter wasn't too long. Tell me your thoughts. I'd really appreciate it. I tried to keep them in character, hope I did a good job, if not then blahh.. whatever..lol**

 **I will be updating the next chapter soon. Maybe even sooner depending on the amount of feedback I get from this one. These chapters were already prewritten for a long time. Like I had said before, this is my first fanfic so I didn't want to post it unfinished yet since I'm such a terribly slow amateur-ish writer.. lol**


	2. Chapter 2: Unexpected Visitors

**Author's Note:**

 **Alright, I'm trying to be consistent with this but don't always count on a fast update. Haha.. *sweats nerviously* Anyways..so here it is, Chapter 2. Enjoy! :)**

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 **Chapter 1: Unexpected Visitors**

Ritsu was once again in the kitchen pouring yet another cup of water. This evening was unexpected and definitely not going the way he had wanted it to. Shigeo getting sick was probably inevitable, Ritsu thought to himself. His brother had said it once before that after using a huge amount of his psychic powers that he'd feel a little under the weather. However, what had transpire upstairs could not have been what he meant.

Ritsu had never seen his brother this bad and it honestly worried him. Like, even after his fight with Claw's boss, he could still lose his brother. That was still a valid possibility. And to lose him over something as simple as a sickness just seemed almost absurd with all the dangers they had just lived through. It wouldn't be fair like cheating, or foul play or just very... _unexpected_.

Ritsu hated things like that. Hated not knowing or constantly being on his toes but then again who did. He scoffed at his own thoughts, realizing how silly it was to think he was the only one who felt that way.

After filling the cup with some water, he closed the fridge then just as he was about to leave the kitchen a nerve wrecking chill went down his spine. He turned around quickly, water nearly spilling from his hand as he nervously scanned his surroundings. There was no one but he could've sworn he felt something behind him, lurking. It was very unsettling. Maybe he was just being paranoid and he would've dismissed it if it wasn't for the small trace of psychic energy that lingered behind in the emptiness of the house. Someone was outside, distant yet fairly close. Close enough to feel like a threat for an insecure Ritsu who wouldn't let his guard down.

Ritsu crept to his living room window, trying to peer to the sides of his house when there was an unfamiliar knock at the front door. The younger esper froze in place, they weren't expecting company so who could that be? It couldn't be his parents otherwise they wouldn't have called earlier. A sick feeling of Deja Vu reminded him of when Shou had come that fateful day. Ritsu didn't want another incident that would disrupt the peace within his family. Not now at least; it was too soon. He quietly tiptoed to the door where he could faintly hear two voices talking from the other side. Then, there was another knock.

"Are you sure this is the right address?" one voice said.

"Just who do you think I am? I'm positive! I'm surprised you've known your student for this long and still don't know where he lives!" the other argued.

"I'm his mentor not his babysitter! How would that look for my image if I was meeting an underage child at his house!?"

"Alright, alright! Let me go check if anyone is home."

Ritsu was just about to ask who was there but nearly jumped out his skin when a neon green, flaming wisp floated through the door.

"DIMPLE!?" exclaimed Ritsu, holding his chest from the sudden fright.

"Oh, Ricchan!" Dimple raised an eyebrow. "What are you doing?"

"Nothing, d-don't just appear out of nowhere like that! You scared the crap out of me!"

"Sheesh, calm down! What else am I supposed to do, I can't just open doors the normal way you know. Like I mean I have hands but I'm a ghost, it doesn't work that way." the spirit explained, raising his transparent arms, waving them in and out through the door. "Anyway, it's just me. There's no need to be so jumpy, Ricchan."

Ritsu sighed, "You're right." Part of him was relieved with the familiar presence. Being alone with his brother sick like this made him feel vulnerable. "I don't know why I've been so anxious lately."

Dimple examined the kid, his hair was a mess while his dark eyes showed signs of stress. "Yeah, you look terrible," Dimple said bluntly. "What happened- actually hold that thought, can you open the door for this idiot already? We were here knocking for quite a while."

"We? Wait, if you're here then..." Ritsu scowled.

"Hellooo-? Dimple? What's going on in there? Is this Mob's house or not?" Reigen stood at the front door of Mob's house dressed in his usual grey suit and purple tie. He was holding a plastic bag that contained some groceries he took the time to buy for the kids to eat something and some off the counter medicine. He flipped his wrist to glance at his watch. Fifteen minutes passed already, he didn't think it be this long. A click finally came from the knob, and Reigen returned his attention back at the door. He waited patiently as it slowly turned and opened.

"Mister Reigen." Ritsu addressed very sternly. "What brings you here?" Ritsu took a chance to survey the front of his house for anyone suspicious besides the creep standing in front of him. What was Mister Reigen doing here anyway? Not that he really suspects this idiot to be the one who emitted that psychic energy he felt moments ago but he could never be too careful. On another note, that energy had seemed to disappear entirely. _Very odd._ It honestly didn't leave the young esper feeling any less insecure.

"Well hello Mob's brother, you look happy to see me as always." The proclaimed psychic greeted with his upfront grin, ignoring the grimace he got back from the preteen. "Is Mob home?"

"I'm sorry that you took the time to come all this way but my brother isn't fe-"

"So it's true. Mob's sick, isn't he? May I come in?" It was more of a demand than a question as he walked in without consent from the boy.

"Hey! What are you- How did you!?" Ritsu was left baffled. There was no way this man could have known his brother was sick unless Dimple had somehow been there when it happened. Yeah, _somehow_. He pondered hard, thinking of every possibility but that wouldn't have made any sense. It never occurred to Ritsu that Reigen had heard the whole commotion through Shigeo's phone which left the man quite worried for the child's well-being.

"Look, an explanation isn't really what's important right now, so where is he? Upstairs?" Reigen asked the boy. He didn't need to be a real psychic to tell how suspicious Ritsu was of him and who could blame the kid, he did just barge into his house uninvited but with a good reason he mentally reasoned with himself.

Reigen couldn't ignore the worries that manifested after that disturbing phone call. Ritsu's screams, the fear in his voice. Reigen had assumed that they were home alone when the incident with Mob had occurred. How could he turn a blind eye to that? He tried calling back several times but no one picked up and he didn't have Mob's house phone number. It was enough to convince him that they needed help.

"I'm not the enemy here, you can trust me. I'm just here to help?" Reigen persisted, trying his best to convince the boy to comply.

Ritsu stared back at him then sighed knowing full well how pointless it would be to argue with him. If he had, he'd be subjected to hear the man talk senseless and quite effectively to get his way in the end because for some darn reason Reigen was really good at winning debates, so much so it was irritating. With that in mind you could say Ritsu had ran away from a possible argument prematurely and so, he reluctantly escorted Reigen upstairs to his room where his brother was resting.

Shigeo laid soundly on Ritsu's bed, his body wrapped tightly under the covers. Only the sound of small labored breathing could be heard and it sadden Reigen's heart to see Mob in that state, so weak, so fragile. Shigeo was still awake when they gathered in the room, he turned his head slightly trying his best to face his guest.

"So this is what my disciple has been up to." Trying to sound up lifting in the dense atmosphere. "Mob you need to take better care of yourself." Reigen said shaking his head side to side with his hands on his hips.

"Master...!" Shigeo's eyes widened. "So you came after all." He smiled for a second but it quickly receded with his next comment, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to cause you any trouble, I just...I just..."

"Don't apologize Mob," The boy's Master stopped him with a wave of his hand. "It was an emergency, there's nothing to be ashamed of," Reigen comforted, he knelt down next to him by the bed and placed his hand on top of his round mushroom head. "I'm glad that you called me. I'm here now, that's what matters. "

Shigeo nodded watching his Master in awe. He was happy although his face didn't really show much expression, you could still see the sparkle in his eyes.

Ritsu was surprised to hear this. When did his brother have time to make a call and why did he call Mister Reigen instead of his own brother? Even if Shigeo had attempted to call him, Ritsu's phone would have been dead. Ritsu clenched his fist. He wasn't there for his brother when he needed him most. Guilt and regret filled the younger esper's heart. It was like no matter what he did for his brother, Reigen would always be one step ahead of him.

"Mob, how are you feeling right now?" Reigen cupped his hand onto Mob's cheek to feel his temperature. He really was burning up.

Shigeo swallowed hard, his throat ached. "Ngh... Not good," was all he managed to say but that would be considered an understatement compared to the amount of pain he was really feeling. The slightest movements made his body hurt all over and his head dizzy to the point of nausea, he felt utterly weak.

"What's wrong Shigeo? Your aura feels unstable. It's going up and down like waves in a stormy sea," Dimple notified, it was very alarming for the spirit. He was trying his best not to accidently get exorcised by the boy's sudden surge of psychic energy.

Shigeo was unaware of this though.

"Here." Reigen popped a thermometer into Shigeo's mouth. He had bought it on his way here. After a minute the device started beeping and Reigen took a look at the numbers, his eyebrows wrinkled slightly though his face stood as calm as his voice, "Mob is definitely not in good shape. Your temperature is at a high 106°F, we need to bring down your fever- fast! Hey, Mob's brother," he turned to the other boy.

Ritsu flinched, his train of thought disrupted, not expecting to be called out so sudden. Reigen handed him a bottle of Tylenol.

"Give your brother two tablespoons of this and make sure he drinks that cup of water. Keep him hydrated. There's another bottle in that bag there if he's still thirsty. I'm going to bring a pot of water and more towels." With that said the grey-suited man exited out of the room, Dimple followed afterwards.

"I'm impressed. You actually sound like you know what you're doing for once." Dimple teased, grin outstretched his ghostly face.

"Ha, ha, very funny Dimple," Reigen entertained, then waving his finger in a scolding manner. "I'll have you know I am a man of many talents." He wasn't trying to have his pride trampled on, especially not by some rude and arrogant ghost.

The green spirit scoffed. "Yeah, _talents_."

Reigen ignored the annoying spirit's obvious sarcasm, there were more important thing to focus on. Reigen went downstairs to the kitchen, when he checked the cabinets he soon realized there were no pots anywhere in sight. He scanned the area, quickly noticing the boxes everywhere.

"This place is a mess."

After searching the sea of cardboard, he was able to find a pot from one of the already opened boxes on the floor. He then started filling it with room temperature water.

"If I can treat the problems of my clients then I sure as hell can do the same for Mob." What kind of Mentor would he be if he couldn't do a simple task such as nursing his student back to good health? He was determined to make Mob feel better, and it didn't matter what it would cost him.

Reigen wouldn't be ashamed to admit that Mob meant a lot to him. Honestly, he viewed the boy as a son that he didn't know he needed until that fateful day he had come into his office. Watching Mob grow from a young boy was something more special than he could have ever asked for. Mob was his dear student, his partner, his _friend._ With that reason alone is exactly why Reigen absolutely needed to do this, for Mob's sake.

"Just hang in there kiddo, stay strong. I know you can. You've always have been."

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 **Author's Note:**

 **Originally, this chapter was super long so I had to split it into two separate chapters with this one and chapter 3. So I hope this chapter didn't seem boring. I promise, things will get more intense next chapter. Tell me your thoughts. And thanks for reading! ;)**


	3. Chapter 3: Confrontation Truth and Lies

**Author's Notes:**

 **Alright, here goes. Things start to get a little intense, some drama I guess..**

 **Ritsu has some stuff to get off his chest... Breathe in, Breathe out..**

* * *

 **Chapter 3: Confrontation; Truth and Lies**

Ritsu did just as Reigen had told him to do. Mob took the medicine with no complaints. Not that Shigeo would ever resist in the first place, his brother was really accepting of things for some reason. Ritsu was relieved to know that Reigen was well prepared for this. Although he would hate to admit, without his help Ritsu wasn't sure how he planned on helping his brother on his own.

"Your Master is really something else, Brother." Ritsu commented.

Shigeo took one last gulp from the water bottle, lifting his droopy eyes to his brother who was sitting on the chair next to him. It was rare for Ritsu to talk about Reigen. Although Ritsu's behavior was odd, Shigeo didn't find it necessary to question his brother's sudden interest in his Master. Instead he stood quiet, silently listening.

Ritsu took the empty bottle from his brother, placing it in the small trash by his desk then rolled his chair back in front of Shigeo.

"It was nice of him to come out of his way to check up on you, he must really care for you. Honestly, I didn't take him for that kind of guy," Ritsu continued. It was true, he always felt that Reigen was only using his brother.

"Ah, yes. Master is a good person," Shigeo replied. He laid back down staring up at the ceiling before closing his eyes. He was tired.

"You must trust him a lot, don't you Brother?"

"I do." Shigeo exhaled slowly, eyelids still rested shut.

"I mean," Ritsu hesitated, unsure whether it was a good idea to continue with his question. "Do you trust him more than... m-me..?" He felt selfish, instantly regretting his question.

"Huh…? W-What?" Shigeo's eyes fluttered open staring up at his younger brother but Ritsu's dark orbs blinked to the side, avoiding eye contact. This action troubled Shigeo who was unable to interpret his brother's behavior. "Ritsu, why would you think that?"

Ritsu's was quiet for a moment, reviewing the question in his head as he came up with the best way to reply. "Like you, um. Never really come to me for help... or advice. It's always Reigen. I feels as though he is somehow replacing me."

"O-oh." Shigeo was not sure how to respond.

They both fell silent, unable to look each other in the eye. It was not something Shigeo was used to and for the first time, Shigeo felt uncomfortable around his brother and it left him sad and empty. _It hurt_.

"I-I didn't know… that I made you feel that way..."

Ritsu knew this was selfish and perhaps unfair to Shigeo but before he had time to think this through, his lips sort of moved on its own, "It's not you, brother. It's _him."_

"No, wait Ritsu. It's not Master's fau-"

"Yes it is! Don't defend him!" Ritsu said abruptly. "Just what is it about him that always has you running back to him? What does he have that I don't?"

"I'm not. I don't really... I don't know… I can't explain." Mob was at a loss for words. He didn't quite understand why he came to Reigen, he just did.

"I'm here too." Ritsu's voice cracked, obviously holding back some kind of emotion.

"I know. But-"

Ritsu watched his brother closely, observing his nervous posture, eyes Averted. "Look at me."

Shigeo didn't look up at his brother. He was just so flustered at the moment that he wasn't really sure what he should do. But it was a completely misunderstood reaction from Ritsu's point of view, who saw it as a sigh of wariness and fear.

"You don't trust me." said Ritsu, eyes blank and out of focus.

"Huh?" Shigeo jolted his head up, finally facing his brother. "N-No! I never said that."

"Is that why you called your Master, instead of me?"

"Ritsu, that's not why I- "

"Why must you deny it?" There was a sudden build of anger in Ritsu and without warning, he had completely snapped "Stop hiding the truth from me Brother! I know it's true!" his interruption caused Shigeo to flinch at his sudden outburst.

Why can't his brother just admit it? Ritsu was tired of being pitied and _lied_ to. He would always be Shigeo's second choice, when he should be the closest person to his brother, the one who his brother could lean on and come to for support. They're family, that's what family is all about. _Trust_.

"Do you find more comfort relying on Reigen than you do from your own brother? Is that it?" Ritsu stood up from the chair, his voice increasing in volume, causing their surroundings to shake and vibrate, threatening the stability of the room.

"That's NOT TRUE." Shigeo tensed, his pulse raced faster. He had never seen Ritsu this upset with him since that time with claw. It made him very nervous and he wasn't sure what to do about the raising panic building up in his nerves.

"It's alright, just say it... I need you to be honest with me. You don't trust me. Just say it!"

"No, no! You're wrong Ritsu! Please list-" Shigeo choked on his own words and began coughing harshly, the irritation in his sore throat reminded him that he shouldn't have raised his voice like he did.

Alarmed, it only took seconds for Ritsu to revert back to the caring and loving brother he normally was. He instinctively held up his brother into a sitting position. "Hey, Hey! Are you okay!?" Ritsu shouted as he rubbed his brother's back, soon realizing that this was definitely his fault.

Shigeo nodded his head, afraid to use his voice again. He shuddered with each cough, his eyes shut tightly, back arched forward to where his head reached his bent knees, wheezing desperately, feeling more tired and weaker than ever.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry! Does it hurt brother? I didn't mean to..." Ritsu was truly sincere. Guilt washed over him, he was so selfish. _So very selfish_. _God, so stupid!_ He should have known better than to upset Shigeo in his condition and now he once again caused his brother more pain. Why did it always turn out this way?

The room shook violently, Shigeo's power was losing stability as it swam through the air in bright colors. Shigeo started to panic becoming afraid he might hurt Ritsu. He held himself tighter, his nails digging in to his skin. He felt that maybe it'd help him calm down somehow but all it did was increase his brother's growing concern.

It was right around this point when Reigen and Dimple entered the room again, witnessing Shigeo's coughing fit in which they immediately intervened.

Reigen rushed to Mob's side. "What happened?" He asked Ritsu. The boy didn't answer, he was too concentrated on his brother at the moment to pay attention to anyone else.

"What do you block heads think you're doing? Give him some room!" Dimple commanded, sounding very annoyed. "Are you trying to suffocate the boy? He's heated enough!"

They didn't appreciate Dimple's mannerism, especially Ritsu, which found it both insulting and accusing. But it was more frustrating knowing that Dimple was right. Ritsu and Reigen both exchanged looks before backing off. They gave Shigeo some space, watching helplessly as he struggled for air.

Dimple flew towards Shigeo. "It's okay Shigeo. Listen, place one hand to your chest and the other pressed on your stomach. Now breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth, slowly breathe. In and out, slowly. You're alright." Dimple coached the boy.

Shigeo complied with the spirit, taking slow and controlled breaths while holding his stomach. The air became lighter and his power slowly diminished.

"Good. You're doing alright, kid."

Dimple felt sorry for the boy, this was the worst he had ever seen him. Shigeo was already known for fainting due to anemia during his track run in the body improvement club but none were ever severe cases. Dimple wondered that maybe the reason Shigeo looked so drained was also due to the fact of how physically unfit he was and not just because he was sick with a fever. It could be possible. It would explain why his sickness progressed so fast. Shigeo's physical endurance just wasn't cut out for all the sudden stress added onto to him recently.

"Where did you learn those breathing exercises?" asked Reigen.

"Heh, you could say I've been around and I've seen a lot. Used to haunt a hospital in my early ghost days." Dimple said almost sounding proud of the fact.

After a few shaky breaths, Shigeo plopped back down into the bed, head spinning, completely exhausted. He wanted to sleep now more than ever. Being awake only meant more suffering. Shigeo shook his head in submission, "No more..."

"Unfortunately, we still need to bring down your temperature," Reigen said sadly, wishing to ease his student's discomfort.

There was a pained whine that came in response from the esper, which was very unlike Shigeo to complain about anything.

"Please Mob, just bear with me. It'll be alright. I promise."

Shigeo looked up at his teacher who gave him a reassured smile. It was a warm smile, one that made him feel safe for reasons he couldn't explain. Master had never let him down, sure there were times where Shigeo doubted his weird methods but in the end it always came out alright. This shouldn't be any different. _It'll be alright_. Shigeo held onto that thought.

"Don't worry, I'll have you fixed up in no time. You don't need to do anything, just relax." Reigen squeezed the water from the wet towel, folding it in a perfect rectangular shape, laying the dampened material over Mob's forehead.

Ritsu watch with growing frustration as Reigen handled the situation accordingly. At this point he couldn't even be jealous of the man, he only had himself to blame and he almost felt unworthy of watching Shigeo after what happened. He wanted to walk out the room but something told him that doing that will only make Shigeo worry, and he's done enough of that already. The only thing he could do is stand here uselessly and watch it all play out. Because that's what a good brother would do; be there with him until the end of it all.

Shigeo let out a weak gasp even though he tried his best to anticipate the cold touch but he still couldn't control the shakes that came with his body's reaction. Another towel was fixed under his neck, and more were placed between his armpits. This felt awkward. Reigen drained another wash cloth, then steadily wiped his warm skin with soft pats on his arms then slowly up to his face. Shigeo turned his head in embarrassment, his heart thumping faster through his ribcage, feeling slightly uneasy with how close his Master was handling him.

Shigeo didn't understand why he was feeling this way. It's not like Reigen would ever take advantage of him- No! His Master would never do such a heinous act. Plus, Ritsu was here. That's right, Ritsu. His brother, who had just revealed how he really felt about his Master.

 _Please don't be mad at Master Reigen, Ritsu._

Learning his brother true feelings about his Master really left Shigeo conflicted between the two. He didn't know what to do and Ritsu wouldn't listen to reason. He just wished he'd give Reigen a chance but it wasn't his master Ritsu should be blaming. No, Shigeo was very sure that it was his own fault for not realizing it sooner.

 _Please don't be mad, I'm sorry. I'm sorry…I'll try harder, I promise._

Shigeo tried to clear his thoughts, he needed to calm down. _It'll be alright. It'll be alright_ …

Reigen stopped for a moment, heeding Mob's nervous behavior. "Mob? What's wrong, am I making you uncomfortable?" Reigen raised his hands cautiously away from the preteen. "I can stop if you want?" He prompted, waiting patiently for his answer.

Shigeo wasn't sure. "I-I'm okay. I was just… startled. That's all." he blinked once, averting his eyes from Reigen.

Reigen peered at his student doubtfully, Mob couldn't fool him, the kid was easy to read but Reigen didn't say anything. Talking about it would probably just make Mob more anxious. He rubbed the cloth down Mob's face once more and the esper tensed, clearly it bothered him. This didn't sit well with Reigen and he wondered whether it was wise to proceed; especially since he was being supervised by Mob's bodyguard over here.

Ritsu was leaned up against the closet door, across from the bed, arms crossed, he was standing there rather quietly, like a watchdog ready to bark at any suspicious activity from the man.

But nonetheless Reigen continued.

A few minutes passed and Shigeo had got used to strokes on his skin, they had become relaxing somehow and he was able to close his heavy eyes for once. He let out a long breath, tilting his head a little trying to find a comfortable position on the pillow.

Darkness covered Shigeo and the quiet atmosphere helped him mentally shut out everything around him. He wondered if things would get better after this. Well, as long as he wasn't alone, everything would be fine. Yes, as long as Master Reigen and Ritsu were here, they'd take care of him. He'd be alright. If he sleeps now, would the pain disappear? Yes, sleep was all Shigeo could think about at this point.

Everything will be alright, as long as they are here with him, it will get better. Those thoughts made him feel safe and secure. Without them, he might have not been able to drift quietly to sleep.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **This chapter felt really short, sorry. I hope my dialogue wasn't too cheesy. I know there are so many stories with jealous Ritsu right now but mind you, I wrote this in September when there was barely Fanfics for this series. Even though, I did a lot of revising since then. Anyway, hope you enjoyed this chapter. Tell me your thoughts. I look forward to it. 3**


	4. Chapter 4: A Solaced Meal

**Author's Note:**

 **Concerns and honesty... Ritsu and Reigen talk.**

 **You could say this chapter is the calm before the storm.**

* * *

 **A Solaced Meal**

"He's sound asleep." Reigen announced, standing up from the small chair and stretching out his arms then his lower back. "He must be exhausted."

"Yeah, he hadn't slept since we got home..." Ritsu said, regretting to let his brother help move boxes in the first place. Thinking back, he should have tried harder to convince Shigeo to take a rest.

"And what about you? Surely you must be just as tired."

"That...that doesn't matter." Ritsu dismissed.

"Oh but it does." Reigen continued, eyeing the dark-haired boy in full skepticism.

Ritsu didn't respond but instead his stomach spoke for him making a low and distinct growling noise. He nervously turned his head away, fighting the urge to hold his empty center, feeling slightly annoyed and not to mention embarrassed. He cursed his body for revealing any kind of weakness, especially in front of this guy of all people.

"Ah-ha!" Reigen said with a pound of his fist into his other hand. "You're hungry, is that it? You should have said something sooner; you must be starving."

"No, it's okay. I'm fin-"

"Lucky for you, I also happen to be a very skilled cook trained in the art of delicacy! You'll be one of the few to enjoy one of my dishes." Reigen was persistent, so much so that Ritsu wasn't sure how to respond.

"Wait, I, uh..." Ritsu gave up, no use in refusing now. "Yeah...I guess so." It wasn't Ritsu's intention to seem ungrateful but the more Reigen helped them out, the more it made him feel in debt to him and that alone made Ritsu withdraw himself from the idea.

"That settles it, I'll start cooking right away." Reigen said with a grin. "I had already bought some groceries on my way here, this is perfect. Just sit tight, leave everything to me."

"As if I had any other choice." Ritsu mumbled mostly to himself. "But the kitchen, it's a bit of a mess. I should probably finished organizing a few things before you do anything."

"That would be great but what about Mob, I think you should stay to watch him? Although, I doubt he'll be up anytime soon but we can never be too sure."

Ritsu looked back at his brother, it's not like he had forgotten. He definitely wanted to be there for him when he comes around but there's still stuff that needs to be finished in the house. He at least wanted to fix up Shigeo's room before he awakes.

"Let me look after Shigeo." the spirit offered, flying closer to the two.

Riegen shift his weight, acknowledging Dimple with raised eyebrows. "I'm not sure that's a good idea." Reigen opposed.

"Huh!? And why's that!?" Dimple said utterly offended by the con-artist's quick refusal.

"I mean..." Reigen said, folding his arms. "Can we even trust you alone with Mob? Who's to say you won't take this opportunity to possess him while he's vulnerable?"

Ritsu agreed with a hum of his voice. Although Dimple has helped them in the past, he knows how manipulative he could be. He is an evil spirit after all.

"What, seriously guys!? Is that how little trust you have in me even after all I've done up until now?"

Reigen and Ritsu both nodded.

"Ouch. Well that hurts..." he pouted. "But just hear me out, I don't have any bad intentions here. I mean, look at Shigeo, he's practically on his deathbed. Why would I want to possess that?"

Ritsu eyes shot at Dimple, his glare full with malice. How dare he speak of his brother that way?

"My bad, my bad!" Dimple retreated, waving his hands as if to stop an incoming threat. "I didn't mean to say death. Ok, what I'm trying to say is that Shigeo is of more use to me alive and all I wish is to see him get better. This boy has alot going for him." He said trying to sound as sincere as possible. "Listen, I give you my word that I won't possess or do anything to harm your brother. I promise. So can you guys stop being so damn paranoid!?"

Reigen looked at Ritsu, waiting for his answer.

"Alright." Ritsu replied.

Dimple was relieved as he gave smile.

"But, just know, if you try anything, there is no second chances. That'll be the end for you, I promise."

Dimple paled from his last statement as he watched Ritsu leave the room. Reigen didn't say anything to the spirit instead he flashed him a thumbs up as a way of saying good luck before following Ritsu downstairs. Dimple shook off his tention as unsettling that conversation was for him but he was telling the truth. Besides, there was a much more important reason for staying with Shigeo.

Dimple floated just about three feet above Shigeo's head, keeping his distance as he observed the sleeping child. He didn't want to say anything because it would have alarmed the others but Shigeo's psychic energy hasn't stopped its unusual wavelength. Even after the kid's loss of consciousness it still seems to be active, emitting very high pulses which is not normal at all. When a person sleeps there should be zero psychic activity from them but Shigeo's power was radiating from him, spilling out at dangerous levels. Dimple gritted his ghostly teeth, this was definitely disturbing. Unable to find a solution, all he could do was watch and pray nothing bad will happen.

Time passed and Ritsu had longed finished the kitchen. Reigen was now preparing dinner, he wore a light blue apron over his grey suit with a white chef's hat which Ritsu felt was very unnecessary. He looked really into what he was doing, making over exaggerated poses as he added and mixed ingredients into the pot, also unnecessary. The food smelled good and he looked like he knew what he was doing but Ritsu saw through his charade. Every few minutes he caught Reigen checking a recipe book poorly concealed in his apron pocket, although Ritsu didn't care how the man went about with his weird act just as long as it benefitted them in the end.

Ritsu was up and down the stairs during this time. He used his powers to help him easily carry multiple items, doing this saved a lot of time cleaning the house. Not only was it convenient but it was also good practice for honing his psychic powers; he had gotten really great at using them now, still not as accurate as his brother's though. In between cleaning the house he'd pass by the room every half hour or so to check up on Shigeo. Dimple would give him a wave as a signal everything was fine.

An hour and a half had passed and dinner was now ready. Reigen had called for Ritsu who was lying quietly on the living room couch, stuck in his thoughts as he stared up at the ceiling. He wasn't tired, he just didn't feel like getting up right away, so he remained on the sofa. It was not until he heard the sound of Reigen placing the plates on the table that Ritsu had finally sat up. The warm smell was welcoming.

Reigen walked over to him. "I've already started serving, your plate is on the table. You should hurry before it gets cold."

He nodded, "Uh, thanks."

Ritsu stood quietly to himself as he sat on the dining table. He examine his plate, rice with mixed vegetables to the left with some curry on the side. There was a small bowl of soup to his right which emitted the most aroma throughout the entire house. Ritsu clasped his hand together, saying a small prayer of thanks for the food before grabbing his spoon and taking his first scoop of rice into his mouth. A couple of minutes later Reigen joined him at the table holding his own plate of food. He took the seat left of Ritsu where Shigeo normally sat. They ate to themselves for a couple of minutes.

It was quiet.

Reigen couldn't stomach it any longer. He wasn't used eating in a quiet atmosphere- like even Mob was never this silent. Yes, the boy could be awkwardly social but Mob was always engaging in conversation in his own little way. Reigen cleared his throat, breaking the silence.

"So, how do you like it?

"The soup is pretty good." Ritsu said, taking another sip.

"Yes! I knew you'd like it! It's an old family recipe, one my grandmother used to make when I got sick. It's very delicious." Reigen could say that he got carried away after being in the moment or maybe he was just trying to kill the mood at the dining table. He continued boasting on and on about how it had been passed down from generation to generation.

Ritsu couldn't tell whether it was a lie or not but Reigen sure had a lot to say about it. The boy sighed, he wondered how his brother put up with him. Then again, there are some things he'd never understand about his brother. Thinking of his brother, another thought had passed by him.

"You said this was made when you got sick, so does that mean you made this soup for my brother? Shouldn't he be eating here too?" Ritsu asked, interrupting Reigen half way through his story which Ritsu wasn't really paying any attention to.

"Yes and no." Reigen replied, purposely creating suspense with the vague answer. He could already see the confused yet annoyed look Ritsu had given him. It amused Reigen how easy it was for Ritsu to change his attitude towards him, much different from Mob who never expresses any emotion.

"What do you mean?" Ritsu tried his best to be patient with the stupid response Reigen had given him.

"Have you've ever heard of the saying feed a cold but starve a fever?" Judging from Ritsu's silence Reigen assumed he didn't know so he continued. "I don't think Mob should eat right away, it may have negative effects. I made the soup for him so he can eat later if he's hungry."

"I see..."

Reigen couldn't help but notice the sad and glum tone in the younger brother's voice. He wanted to give some words of encouragement but he knew Ritsu would probably resent him for it. Reigen was ready for more continued silence but what he didn't expect was for Ritsu to start up a conversation.

"I was hoping... to eat a meal with my brother today. Before all this had happened." Ritsu put down his spoon for a moment. "You see, since the marathon, it's been so long since we sat as a family again. I just want my brother to be happy. Today was supposed to be a good day, a break from all the bad. I guess...maybe that was too much to ask for."

Reigen forced down the food from his throat, pounding his chest with one hand to help it settle, then responded rather sloppily. "You still can. Don't you think that you're making things sound more complicated than it needs to be?"

 _What would you know,_ Ritsu was tempted to throw back but then took a moment to think before speaking again. "It's not that simple, you said it yourself; brother isn't well enough to eat yet."

"Yet." Reigen said with the raise of his index finger. "And when he does feel better to eat, you will have to just eat again, this time with your brother. I've made plenty of food, there should be no excuse."

"I know but brother has had such a hard time and also after..." Ritsu thought back on the argument he had earlier with Shigeo. "What if...it's not a happy meal."

"Don't let your brother's health bring you down, he's going to recover. And as long as you're there by his side, I'm sure Mob will be alright."

Ritsu turned his face, looking down past the table. "I don't know about that..." his words unconfident.

"Huh? What's with all the self-doubt there kiddo?" Reigen didn't take Ritsu as the type to put himself down. It was very out of character and he wondered what had caused such negative thoughts. Regardless of the reason, he wanted to cheer him up. "Certainly he would! He admires you a lot, you know that right?"

"Yeah?" Ritsu shrugged. "I suppose that could be true." He wasn't sure if Reigen was just saying this to make him happy but hearing it somehow make him feel a little better.

"He does." Reigen's eyes were straight this time, expression serious. "He speaks very highly of his younger brother. Believe me."

Ritsu stared back at him, he sensed no lie behind his words. For once this man was being completely honest with him, something he never thought he'd witnesses from the con-artist. It was enough to get Ritsu to lighten his attitude. Just this once. "I believe you." He said trying not to sound as grateful but Reigen's kind words did manage to uplift him, though he'd never admit it. He couldn't help but curl his lips slightly./It was enough to get Ritsu to lighten his attitude. Just this once. "I believe you." He said trying not to sound as grateful but Reigen's kind words did manage to uplift him, though he'd never admit it. He couldn't help but curl his lips slightly.

"A smile! Great, now that's the spirit!" Reigen grinned widely, equally happy and satisfied with himself. This conversation proved to be more interesting than he had expected. He learned that Ritsu wasn't that much different from his brother Mob and that even he cared how others viewed him and whether he was good enough to those around him. Reigen laughed to himself before taking another spoon of rice.

Ritsu on any other occasion would have ignored it completely if he hadn't been intrigued by the sudden action. "Was there something funny in all this?"

"Oh, uh...sorry." Reigen apologized with a small chuckle. "It's just, I was thinking how similar you and Mob really are, like being two different sides of the same coin."

Ritsu raised both eyebrows as his face softened a bit, the heat rising to his cheeks. He wasn't shocked but somewhat taken aback from the statement. He glanced back down at his forgotten plate, he gripped his spoon tighter before plopping it into the warm solaced meal.

"Of course. We're brothers after all."

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **I really adore the idea of Ritsu and Reigen exchanging words. I wish we had more of that in the Manga. Anyway, tell me your thoughts. :)**


	5. Chapter 5: Paranoia A Disaster Awaits

**Sneak Peak:**

 **"Something definitely isn't right..." - Ritsu**

 **"Huh!? You want me to go in _there_?" - Dimple**

 **"Stop! Stop it! You're hurting him- " - Reigen**

 **"I'm sorry Ritsu..." - Mob**

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Okay here goes, this chapter gets a bit intense! I actually really enjoyed writing this one. And Sorry for the late update.**

* * *

 **Paranoia; A Disaster Awaits**

Ritsu was the first to finish. He placed his dirty dish in the sink, eager to leave, he didn't bother cleaning it; besides, his parents weren't home anyway.

"Don't worry about the dishes, I'll clean up after I'm done here." Reigen assured, though Ritsu wasn't worried about it, checking up on his brother was the only thing on his mind now.

Ritsu walked passed the living room heading to go back upstairs only to be distracted by a strange change in the air. He immediately stopped, something didn't feel right. _There it is again, that strange presence. Who could that be?_

Reigen raised a brow, "Is something wrong? You look troubled."

"Do you...feel that?" It was a weird sensation enough to make the hair on Ritsu's arms and neck stand on end. He didn't like this, not one bit. He was growing more anxious by the second just wondering about it.

Reigen paused trying his best to feel whatever it was Ritsu was talking about but of course his senses weren't as heightened as the esper's was. His answer was obvious. "No? Why?"

"I could faintly feel someone else's presence but it doesn't feel normal, feels muffled, suppressed somehow. I can't put my finger on it.I felt it earlier, moments before you arrived. I thought it was nothing but now I'm sure, someone is watching us, watching my brother."

"And you're sure it's not Mob?" Reigen knew it was a longshot to hope for the younger brother to wrong for once. He didn't like thinking about the idea of someone watching them right now. It was too unsettling, especially to be watching a bunch of young kids home alone.

"I'm positive, my brother's psychic energy is very distinct and clear. It practically blows out others in comparison. I could never mistake it," he explained, taking a half step back, turning around until he faced the direction of the front door, his eyes piercing right through it. "It's coming from outside the house, maybe further down, across the street? I can't really tell. Wait..." Ritsu gave a frustrated growl. "Damn. It's gone."

Reigen let out a sigh of relief. "Well good. Let's just hope whoever that was doesn't come back. For all we know, it's probably nothing." Part of him felt like Ritsu was just being paranoid, even if it was another Esper, that doesn't necessarily mean they would be after this house or Mob in particular. At least, that's what he wants to believe.

On the other hand, the young esper was still on high alert because something else had caught his attention now. He immediately ran up the stairs. Something definitely isn't right but before he reached the top Dimple had flew right past him. The two shared a moment of understanding in their brief encounter, no words were spoken and the spirit automatically changed his trajectory, catching up to Ritsu in the opposite direction.

"It's Shigeo, his powers- you need to hurry!" Dimple explained as shortly as possible.

 _Please, please be alright Brother._

A powerful aura spewed out from the room, swirling and twisting in bright colors. The air was strong and thin to breathe in. Ritsu held on the entrance of the door frame, trying his best not to be blown away from his brother's telekinesis. In the distance he could see his sibling, still asleep on the bed that was levitating above the floor. Objects such as books and Ritsu's desk materials were flying around the room along with the chair that had been seated next to the bed. Shigeo whispered sounds while he unconsciously turned in his sleep, face tightened in distress. He was crying out a few words, most of them incomplete or undecipherable.

"No...Stay away..."

 _A nightmare?_

"Brother wake up, it's not real! Br-" Ritsu gasped mid-sentence when he noticed his bookshelf take off in the air, the desk next to it also slid then rotated its position. "Shit!" Ritsu extended his hand, pulling back the heavy furniture that nearly rammed into Shigeo. He grounded them flat on the floor again, sweat rolled down his face. _That was a close call._

"Hey! What's all th-"

"Stay back Mr. Reigen! My brother, his powers are out of control!" Things are already bad as it is, the last thing he needs is for someone to get hurt, it'll only fuel his brother's emotions which can be dangerous.

"Mob..." Reigen stood frozen at the end of the hallway. It was times like this that reminded him how useless he really was. He wanted to help. _For once, actually_ do something! "Dimple, can't you like, uhh...enter Mob's conscience somehow and disrupt his concentration or something?"

"Huh!? You want me to go in _there_? Are you crazy!?" Dimple was shouting much louder than he meant to.

Reigen didn't give up. "But you were able enter Mob with no problem when we were up against Mogami."

"That's because Shigeo was an empty vessel," the spirit reminded.

"And that time against that big muscle guy from Claw?"

"First off, I'm not exactly sure how that happened and second, I'm not as durable as you think y'know. A normal person like you can't see it but psychic energy can be visible depending how strong it is. Esper's like Ritsu are mostly able to feel it but in some cases they are able to _see_ power flow just as spirits do. And right now, Shigeo's aura is scary enough to exorcise me by contact alone. Unless I had some kind of protection, it useless."

Reigen looked at Ritsu, who was undoubtedly having a hard time. He was struggling between holding himself on the door and using his powers to stop any extra damage. Reigen couldn't stand all the stress these kids were enduring, it made him sick to his stomach. No child should have to go through this. Reigen took a deep breathe, time for some self-sacrifice, he thought to himself.

"Use me."

Reigen and Dimple were face to face to each other, one much serious in contrast to the others confused face.

"What, come again?" Dimple must of heard wrong.

"I said, use me. I will be your vessel. That way you can go near Mob with no worries."

For a moment Dimple was dumbstruck, almost impressed with how serious Reigen displayed himself. "Are you sure about this? I don't want to hear any complaints later." Dimple warned.

"Yes, yes, stop patronizing me and just do it already." Reigen knew he was making the right decision. Mob had done so much for him and although Mob might disagree, he knew there would be nothing he can offer that would repay the amount of gratitude Reigen has for him. "Just try not to break me in the process."

"I can't make any promises." the ghost snickered. Without a moment to spare, Dimple fused with Reigen's body, his signature red spots appeared on both of Reigen's cheeks as a sign of a successful possession. Dimple stretched with Reigen's body, opening and closing his fist and flexing his muscles, trying to get a feel for his new host. "Hmmm, not bad. It's a little scrawny for my taste but it'll have to do."

"Woah, oh this is weird, so weird!" Reigen could still see everything except his body felt cold and numb as if he was floating in water. It was like being weightless but heavy at the same time. "Ugh...this is making me nauseous." Reigen complained, he was speaking to Dimple through his thoughts.

"Oh-ho! You're a stubborn one. I'm impressed that you're still conscious, most black out after I take control. Try not to overwhelm yourself in there okay. You're going to need all the energy you can save." Dimple laughed.

Reigen wasn't pleased with the tone Dimple used to say that last statement.

Everything seemed to happen so fast and Ritsu was given no warning as Reigen, or more correctly, when Dimple had flashed by him. The esper was stunned, he said the first thing any person would have said in this situation, "Stop! What do you think you're doing!?"

"I'm going to try to wake up Shigeo. Just cover me Ricchan!" Dimple said in Reigen voice.

"Huh, Ricchan? Wait. Dimple!?" Eyes widened in disbelief. "You better have a good explanation for this." Eitsu did not like this. Not good, his brother would not like this, not one bit.

Dimple grinned through his host, spreading his hands, he generated his own aura of psychic energy. He used it to increase his speed just slightly so that he had enough momentum to break through the whirling atmosphere Shigeo had created in the room. A few items came his way and he did his best to dodge them, only receiving a few cuts and scratches on his face, arms and legs while Ritsu handled the bigger, less avoidable furniture to clear a path. As he got closer to Shigeo, he could feel Reigen's legs shake, everything became heavy.

"This doesn't look good Dimple! I hope my body can hold out."

"Just a little further..." Dimple took stern, wide steps, knees bent, holding his balance and using Reigen's hands to barely grip the floor ahead of them. He took one last step, arm reaching for the bed until he got ahold of it. Perfect, the rest should be easy, he thought as he climbed the levitating bed frame, finally making it to the top where Shigeo laid.

"Mob!" Reigen could hear himself call out despite being unable to speak through his own body.

"Wake up Shigeo! Hey, get a hold of yourself!" There was no reaction as expected, Dimple sucked his teeth. "I didn't want to do this kid but I guess it's the only option." Dimple placed Reigen's hand on Shigeo's head. There was no easy way to stop this; well, no painless way at least. In order to get through to the boy, he would either need to shock him somehow or disrupt his dream but to do that Dimple would have to invade his conscious.

"Brace yourself."

Reigen couldn't tell who Dimple was referring to but within that second a shock wave pass through him, he felt as though his very soul was being drained of life, colors saturated and everything around him gradually became blurry. Within the same moment Reigen could hear Shigeo fidgeting, making irritated sounds. He looked down, his student twisted and turned, shaking his head frantically, fighting an invisible force which Riegen knew all too well was Dimple's doing.

"Stop! Stop it! You're hurting him Dimple!" Reigen pleaded, trying his best not to regret that he had offered his body to the spirit. If something bad were to happen to Mob, he would be fully responsible.

"You don't understand, I'm trying to help him. I haven't even broken through his mental barrier."

"No! This isn't the way. I can't- I can't allow this! You're making him suffer more, stop! Sto...st..." Reigen felt himself slipping away, similar to fighting heavy eyelids from lack of sleep, he fought the dizziness. "W-what...is this..?"

"I told you to settle down in there. It seems like my power is sapping your spiritual stamina. Especially with the amount I'm using now, it's not surprising. If you're not careful, there's a good chance you might pass out soon."

"No..not now. I need to make sure Mob is safe...Damn it." This was definitely not what Reigen had planned.

In the distance they could hear Ritsu yelling, threats laced with anger and desperation. Dimple ignored him, though Reigen was panicking. He knew this wasn't going to be a fun confrontation later with Mob's younger brother.

Despite all the criticism, Dimple was doing his best to get through to Shigeo but the boy's power was tremendous. He knew this wasn't going to be easy but hell, this seemed impossible. Dimple added more pressure, hoping his barrier would give in but it only seemed to get stronger; almost as if the boy was consuming the energy and converting it as his own. He felt sweat roll down Reigen's face and Dimple cursed under his breathe. He was running out of power, at this rate this, none of this would even matter. Their efforts would have been all in vain.

"This, this isn't enough. I can't do it."

Reigen wasn't sure whether to be relieved or worried. Dimple had given up and sadly Reigen wasn't going to be much help either, no plans, no words of encouragement, nothing. He was using every ounce of his concentration just to stay awake but he was very close to blacking out. Things couldn't get any worse than this.

But it did.

Without warning Dimple's energy shattered and evaporated, and Shigeo's power ricocheted, sending a blinding light, bouncing back everything in a split second. Dimple had been knocked out of his host, while Reigen was blown in the process and unlike Dimple, whose intangible body harmlessly past through the solid wall behind them, Reigen's back collided hard against its flat surface. He groaned softly, body slid and dropped from the wall. He held his head, realizing he was back in control of his body.

"Couldn't have picked a better time, right?" He chuckled painfully at the irony. It could honestly be considered a miracle that he was even able to move, but the pain felt so much better than that hollow empty form he was earlier.

Ritsu was also caught off guard, his barrier appearing a moment too late as he was also thrown to the wall behind him. Thankfully he had lessened the momentum with his powers at the last minute.

Ritsu picked himself up. In the room he could see Reigen, trying his best to stand, his stance unsteady and wobbling. This was bad, very bad, Riegen didn't look so good. What was he thinking? Why didn't the man just listen to him? He had everything under control, his brother's situation was under control. He didn't need his help. Now look where that got him, where that had got all of them.

His next attention went to his brother, his form suspended in the air, no longer in a laying position, he was upright, arms holding each other, knees bent to his chest, feet folded on top of eachother. Psychic energy spun around him inside his barrier.

Shigeo was awake.

His brother floated there, still and silent. He stared at Ritsu with the most horrific expression that made the younger brother's heart sink. Shigeo was scared, so horribly traumatized.

Ritsu felt sick to his stomach. Sick at the fact he couldn't hide his own fear from his brother, that he was actually terrified of Shigeo. He could lie, tell himself that he was only scared for Shigeo's well-being but he knew, Ritsu knew his brother's powers still frightened him. Frightened them both.

Shigeo forced his gaze away from Ritsu, slowly looking down at where Reigen was. Then, at the rest of his surroundings. It must of took only a moment before he understood what had happened because that was the only probable cause for the tears that followed. His emotions covered the room like a blanket, so strong it vibrated through everyone in the house.

Fear, guilt, sadness, loneliness, disappointment, regret. All of his thoughts and emotions, Ritsu felt them crystal clear, like the salty liquid that fell from his eyes. Ritsu raised one hand to his face, feeling the warm moist streams flowing its way down to his chin. Reigen was also wiping his eyes, confused mostly, he wasn't sure what was happening by this point.

Ritsu bit his lip. This is the exactly what he was trying to prevent. He was trying to protect his brother from getting hurt again and of course he failed at the one thing that mattered the most. He needed to fix this somehow, for his brother's sake.

"Brother..." Ritsu called out softly. Looking up he could see him behind his stormy barrier, frozen, shocked with his hands spread out on his face. "Brother, it's okay... _we're okay._ "

Shigeo didn't move.

"You can stop now. You need to stop, before..." Ritsu swallowed nervously.

His barrier spread wider. Reigen was limping his way out of the room, joining Ritsu at the doorway. Ritsu didn't even spare him a look, his eyes locked on Shigeo.

"Please..." Ritsu cried, unsure if it was him or because of Shigeo's emotions. Regardless, seeing his brother locking himself away hurt him more than anyone could understand. He spent years being there for Shigeo, encouraging his brother to open up to him, not to shut himself entirely. "Brother, just c-calm down."

Waves of psychic energy lashed out, just barely hitting them, though Ritsu didn't budge from the sudden whip, he was completely fearless. "Brother...?" he took two steps closer.

"S-stay away!" Shigeo waved his hand abruptly, causing Ritsu to flinched, halting his movements. Shigeo dropped his arm, visibly trembling, he let out another breath, "Please..."

"Brother, let me help you!" Ritsu took another bold step, stumbling forward from the cracks on the floor.

"N-no, don't! I can't..." Shigeo raised his head up finally making eye contact. His eyes swollen from crying, staring at Ritsu, desperately pleading, warning him to stay away. "My powers, it's too strong..." He choked, hand clenching his chest. He spoke in light whispers, air nearly escaping his mouth as he tried his best to speak. "I can't stop it. I can't. It won't. It wouldn't let me. I don't want to hurt you. It said it'd hurt you Ritsu. It said… you can't stop it either."

"No..." It was just as Ritsu feared, the damage had already been done. Nothing can stop his brother now.

"I'm sorry Ritsu..."

"No, no no no no, don't do this! Don't leave me! I can fix this! We can fix this together!" Without a second thought Ritsu dashed forward, then another light emitted from Shigeo, blinding Ritsu and stopping him in his tracks. Everything around them became beyond recognition.

Reigen was yelling, something about needing to leave but the Ritsu didn't respond, he couldn't hear anything at the moment, he just let everything pass by him, defeated, empty, as he blankly stared at the blinding white light that was once his brother. Reigen grabbed the motionless boy around the waist. Ritsu snapped out of his trance, automatically he struggled against Reigen's hold, not wanting to leave his brother behind.

"WAIT, NO! Stupid what are you doing!? My Brother! He's still in there. I need to help him! He needs our help!" Ritsu screamed hysterically.

Reigen didn't let go.

"We can't leave him, he's going to hurt himself! Stop- are you even listening!?" Ritsu desperately thrashed and kicked his legs around trying to get free, wanting to run back to his older brother but Reigen had a tight grip on him as he ran down the stairs carrying him on his side. Dimple followed, they all scurried out the house leaving Shigeo upstairs in the bedroom. Alone.

Tears fell down Ritsu's face, his arms extended to the house as he was brought further, and further away from it. Away from Shigeo. "I'm sorry brother..." he called out almost in a whisper, the words barely audible from his sore throat.

It wasn't supposed to be this way.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Let me know if I might need to add any new tags, I'm not sure, maybe too soon. I know for sure the next chapter might need some warnings, _maybe...idk._ **

**This chapter and chapter 6 could have gone one before the other without changing the chronological order of the events in the story, which is why I took long submitting this chapter because I was still pondering which to put first. In the end I kept my original plan and made this one the next scene just in case it got confusing. I think I made the right choice. Chapter 6 is still being revised though.**

 **Anyway, not sure if this is going how you all expect it to. Tell me your thoughts, I'd love to hear them. : )**

 **Also, I did another drawing for this chapter. Check it out:**

 **www.** **clori-eden . deviantart** **/art/ Unstable-Loose-Ends-Fear-663421850**


	6. Chapter 6: Fear A Dreadful Bond

**_How do you distinguish dreams from reality?_ **

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**Author's Notes:**

 **Finally! Hey everyone, I am so very sorry for the long wait. I've busy, yeah I know its a lame excuse, _why even write a story if I'm not persistent._ I know..I know, But here it is! Not sure how you all will feel about this chapter, maybe I should give a warning. hmmmm..**

 **WARNING: Mentions of blood, murder and um.. Abuse? I guess. Lots of psychological trauma.**

 **Okay here goes.**

* * *

 **Fear; A Dreadful Bond**

Shigeo blinked twice, rubbing his eyes like he had awoken from a long nap, except he was already awkwardly standing upright on his feet. A long hallway loomed ahead of the young boy. He stared blankly into the endless corridor, dark, gloomy, and yet somehow, inviting? Shigeo hesitated before taking his first steps, walking down the straight path at a regular pace. No thoughts crossed his mind, no questions or concerns, he just kept walking down as if it was the natural thing to do.

There was no visible light and maybe that would have been necessary elsewhere but it wasn't needed here, somehow he was still able to see where he was going. A draft of cool air blew from the opposite direction, flicking up his black bangs tickling his forehead, he held his arms together to keep warm. He looked forward, the scenery had changed. No more hallway, just an empty void. This was odd but before the boy had a chance to react he heard a voice.

"Shigeo." Someone softly call his name.

"H-hello..?" he found himself answering back, turning around trying to figure out the place of origin.

It called again, echoing in the distance.

"Where are you?" Shigeo floated in its direction, only now noticing that there was no longer a floor to step on, yet he ignored the weird circumstance and continued like it was nothing. Just like before, he didn't question the why's and how's of his situation, he just continued to float aimlessly in the darkness.

"Big Brother." The voice appeared, it was more distinct than last time.

Shigeo recognized the voice almost instantly. It belonged to Ritsu, his younger brother. When he turned around, he was standing face to face with him and their surroundings had changed for the third time. This time Shigeo was in his house, though it looked completely different, he somehow knew that it was.

Ignoring the Strange events, Shigeo gave Ritsu a smile, he was happy to see him. He leaned to give him a hug but was met with a hand to his chest, stopping him. Shigeo was thrown off by this, not sure why his brother had rejected his greeting, I left him with an empty feeling in his chest that he couldn't understand.

"Don't," His brother said. "It'll will only hurt more."

"Ritsu, is something the mat-" Shigeo stopped mid-sentence as his brother vanished, his hand that was reaching out to Ritsu stood suspended in the fleeting moment. Shigeo stepped back, taking his previous position again, turning his head to his sides searching for his missing little brother. "Ritsu?"

There was no answer.

The deathly quiet atmosphere was eerie enough to cause Shigeo to duck his head down into his school jacket. He even lowered his voice as he called out again for his brother. He started maneuvering around the house, slowly turning every corner into a different room. It was strange, the house felt small, dark and even cramped at times yet he seemed to wander in it endlessly. What was even weirder was that this was indeed _his_ house, or at least that's what his mind kept telling him.

Shigeo had finally reached a door, another bedroom, he was sure of it. He opened the door, it was dark inside with only his shadow stretched long and thin ahead of him from the light in the hallway behind him. At first glance the room seemed almost empty and he was already on his way to close the door when he nearly slipped on something wet on the floor. He turned his shoes beneath him to see what had caused his unbalance and what he saw caused him to pause. He remained frozen, hoping that maybe he was seeing this wrong.

It was blood. Red and smeared all over the floor, the rest of it went past the door heading deeper in the room towards the left. Shigeo's heart rate was picking up.

 _Please, no._

He didn't want to look, he just wanted to leave and pretend he didn't see anything but part of him wanted to know, wanted to be sure. Maybe he was mistaken, maybe this wasn't… Shigeo gulped as he held one hand close to his mouth and the other right under it near his chest. He was scared, whose blood could that be? Walking in the dark, Shigeo crept closer, pushing the door aside against the wall, letting more light shine into the room until finally his eyes were able to see through the darkness and what he saw made him shriek in horror.

"No...No, no, no...No..." whimpered Shigeo, his knees becoming weak as he held the wall for support, shocked when he saw that it was Ritsu who was on the floor, with his blood splattered everywhere. His brothers eyes were lifeless and his body's position- nauseating. Shigeo's eyes widened in horror, words had left him. He stepped back in disbelief, hands shaking as sweat down his face.

This can't be real. None of this is real...

58%

His left foot collided with something behind him and he tumbled over it. Next to him was another corpse.

"M-m-master R-Reigen...!" He shrieked, scrambling away from his teacher's lifeless body. "This, this can't be... who could've done this?" Shigeo closed his eyes, this couldn't be happening. "Why…?"

"Why you ask?" another strange yet familiar voice laughed.

Shigeo spun around. "Who's there?"

"They're dead silly Shige. That's why."

"Are you responsible for this?" Shigeo was on edge, his eyes rapidly scanned the room that he now registered as his own.

The person laughed again.

71%

Shigeo clenched his fist, clearly not putting up with the mockery, he felt his anger rise, "Reveal yourself! Tell me, why did you do this?"

"Oh no Shige, you got this all wrong." The person appeared from a doorway that clearly wasn't there a moment ago.

Shigeo watched with anticipation until he was fully unveiled from the shadows and what he saw left him shocked and confused.

"I didn't kill your loved ones." He said. "The one responsible for that is you, Shige." He pointed an accusing finger.

"You're...me?" Shigeo whispered, staring at what seemed to be a mirror image of himself. "I don't understand."

"That's right." the doppelganger smiled. "I'm you and you're me. And I, or should I say we? Yes, we did this." His hand gestured to the bodies as if showcasing a prize to an audience.

Shigeo looked away, disgusted and horrified, his stomach turned as vomit rose to the top of his throat, almost throwing up but he kept his composure, swallowing the bile and telling himself that this was just another trick. This is all a lie... It must be. There's no other explanation, he thought rationally.

"You're lying...I can't accept this. I won't because none of this is real." Shigeo spoke calmly. "Ritsu was just here a moment ago, this is all just a ruse to get me off my guard. Like the last time with my parents."

"I assure you, this is no trick."

"This isn't real. It can't be, it can't... "Shigeo's words were failing him.

"Ohh but it is." It smiled with a tilt of its head, almost a playful expression. It was enjoying this.

"They're not d-dead..." the more Shigeo denied, the more uncertain he became, doubting his own words.

The doppelganger made another sinister laugh. "Believe me when I say this much, they are very much dead. I mean, I should know. You should know too, we did it together. You kil-"

75%

"That's a lie! I would never do that! Ritsu, Master, my parents and friends, I'd never do anything to harm them. Not ever!" Shigeo raised his voice louder than he had ever heard himself. He felt so sure he was right, nothing this _thing_ said could tell him otherwise. Nothing. It just couldn't be telling the truth.

His doppelganger stared at him. Its mood completely changed, its eyes blank, unsettling, locked onto his own; it gave Shigeo chills down his spine.

"Pathetic. You're a fool if you really believe that." It said with a straight face, same voice as his own yet not quite his. It was different; colder.

"Huh?"

"If you can't remember, that's fine. I'm your other half so it only makes sense. You're powerless without me anyhow."

"I don't get it, what are you saying?"

"Listen Shige, allow me refresh your memory, then everything will be clear. First let me start with Ritsu."

Shigeo gulped, he didn't like where this was going. "W-wait."

"Ritsu had come home in the afternoon, surely you must remember that much. His usual routine, school, homework. You know, the boring stuff but enough of that, let's get to the good parts. You know, like when he knock on our bedroom door and saw how our power was flowing with beautiful energy. You were stressed Shige but you came to me for help, you set me free and you watched as I made Ritsu scream."

"STOP."

"As he pleaded for mercy when we bended his arms, then his legs, then his ne-"

"STOP IT! That never happen!" He screamed, placing his hands over his ears in an attempt to block out his words. It disturbed Shigeo enough to hear his story but it freaked him out even more to see himself- or that thing say it with his own voice.

"Just so we could stop hearing his annoying pitiful cries!" It continued, ignoring Shigeo. "But his death wasn't enough for me, for us. We were still craving for more ecstasy and bloodlust. By this point you had lost it and I gained control for both of us. You were weak but I made us strong!" The doppelganger began to take shape, shadow covered its body, its eyes became a white luminescent and it glowed with terrifying power. The figure was all too familiar.

82%

Shigeo was trembling at the mere sight of it, fear emitted through his words, "That's impossible..."

"Do you understand now? Without me you'll be nothing. You try so hard to get rid of me but in the end, when everything goes to hell for you, you call for me! A dreadful bond you may say this is but that's just what we are and that will never change." it smiled ominously. "Set me free, Shigeo. Give me control."

Shadow like arms came flying at Shigeo and he raised his own hand for protection, attempting to use his psychic powers to put up a shield but the arms seemed to have grabbed him first. He tried to pry it away again, swiping his hand to call forth his telekinesis in hopes to destroy them but nothing happened.

The arms came and swooped Shigeo off his feet, he was pulled and dragged across the floor, nails bled as he tried latching onto the wooden surface, all in vain. In a panic shigeo twisted unto his back, looking forward he pointed his hands toward his feet where the shadows were constricted around his left foot. Shigeo flexed his hand again expecting his powers to severe the bind but to his surprise the shadows didn't cut. That's when he came to unsettling conclusion, one that made his skin go deathly pale.

He had no psychic powers here. None whatsoever...They were gone.

Shigeo struggled and fought against the hands, yelling and shouting as it brought him closer and closer to the dark silhouette of his doppelganger. "No stop- stay away! I don't want to...lose control. Let go! Let go of me! Please!"

86%

"I wouldn't resist of I were you," It yanked one of Shigeo's arm causing him to wince from the pain, pulling upward, forcefully guiding Shigeo to stand up again. "It's too late now, I won't let you reject me. This is your fate, this was meant to happen, so let it happen."

"Nooo! I won't! I won't lose control!"

It grabbed Shigeo's face from behind, covering his eyes, pulling his head back as its other hand gently, being careful not to squeeze as it wrapped its fingers around his neck. It turned Shigeo's head slightly and whispered into his ear with a wide grin, "Accept me Shigeo. Accept your powers."

Shigeo wasn't really sure what had happen next. All he could feel was a tight pressure building up in his head. It was so excruciating he couldn't think, everything hurt, every part of his bones ached, and his chest tightened close to suffocation.

89%

An overwhelming sensation was boiling up inside of him and he tried everything to hold back this power that was consuming his entire being, shaking him to the core. The pressure came back harder than before until finally he could no longer take it.

94%

"Set me free."

A shockwave sent everything around Shigeo flying. Windows shattered and the wooden floor below him cracked. Dust and debris dispersed as objects spun randomly in the air, orbiting Shigeo. He instantly threw up his barrier, trying his best to stop anymore collateral damage. There was a sharp pain in his chest from holding in his power but he didn't care. The most be did was bring his knees to his chest and hold his arms around himself for comfort.

Shigeo jolted at some small movement to his left and he turn his full attention to the door. There stood Ritsu, alive. His brother was alive! This should have made Shigeo happy but the look his brother gave him rejected those feelings. Fear, Ritsu was scared of him. Shigeo forced his gaze away from him, feeling ashamed. He really was a horrible person, to make his brother wear that expression. What kind of older brother was he?

His dark eyes scanned the rest of the room, stopping at his master, who was having trouble standing. At this point it didn't even matter to him whether this was still a dream or reality. It still hurt the same way. His emotions ran deep with those thoughts, engulfing him, swallowing him into a deeper despair.

Shigeo cried long and hard. He buried his face in his palms as if to physically hold his emotions while they spilled into his hands. His barrier strengthened, isolating him; he didn't want to hurt people. He didn't. Ritsu was calling him and Shigeo barely noticed before catching a glimpse of his brother running dangerously close to him. No, he won't let it happen again. He won't let Ritsu die.

99%

"S-stay away!" He waved almost instantly. "Please..." Shigeo feared harming his brother and with all that's happened, he's not even sure what's real anymore. Even as his brother argued back, showed concern for him, he couldn't chance it. Mob's power just kept increasing and he wasn't sure how to stop it. Pushing Ritsu away was the only way to ensure his brother's safety. Everyone's safety.  
"I'm sorry Ritsu."

It was then when Shigeo had realized that his nightmare was just beginning and at that point there was only one emotion that reigned stronger than the others.

 ** _Fear: 100%_**

* * *

 **Author's Notes:**

 **Alrighty, glad that was over. I hope this chapter wasn't upsetting for some people. Shigeo is going through a lot right now but I wanted to write his point of view to what led to his sudden breakdown last chapter.**

 **I had drew two new drawings for this chapter:**

 **www. clori-eden . deviantart** **/** **art/ A-Terrible-Nightmare-Doppelganger-666408154**

 **www.** **clori-eden . deviantart** **/art/ Doppelganger-Sinister-Whispers-666409257**

 **Once again, Thank you for reading, I will try my best to update soon. And as always, I look forward to your thoughts on the chapter**.


	7. Chapter 7: Guilty Atonement

**Author's Notes:**

 **Alright, this chapter is so far my longest: 3,677 words... Lot's of Reigen and Ritsu.. Take a deep breathe. Go..**

* * *

 **Guilty Atonement**

There wasn't much time he could argue. Things were just happening so fast- his legs sort of moved on his own, seizing the moment as much as possible because his gut was screaming at him that something terrible was going to happen otherwise. Now leaving Mob behind wasn't the plan. No, that wasn't his choice at all and he hates himself for going through with it. Being an adult is hard and making the right choices is even harder. Reigen knows that. He also knows that last look Mob had gave him was desperate, pleading, _burdening._

 _Mob trusted him._

It was that same trust that worried Reigen, added guilt to his shoulders, made him question himself if this was still alright. Made him wonder whether Mob's undying loyalty to him could still be considered a good thing. It wasn't. He's known this for quite some time but it became much clearer after that incident with the possessed girl and that evil spirit. That's when it finally hit him. How far Mob would go, the risk that boy would take just believing his master would be there to have his back unconditionally.

Reigen also wanted to believe this. He'd never want to betray his student- not ever. Which is why this whole ordeal was so messed up because time was against him and it interfered with his ability to make rash decisions. Otherwise, he wouldn't have left Mob back there in the midst of the confusion and fear that was heavy in the air.

Reigen struggled down the stairs with Ritsu fighting in his arms. The kid was hysterical and who wouldn't, Mob's brother had every right to be upset with him. In the end he would be seen as the bad guy for all this. It was a notion Reigen wasn't so used to because on normal circumstances he'd be praised for helping others. But this was different, this was bigger.

This was about Mob. Someone close to him, someone he actually knows couldn't be solved with cheap antics he'd used to satisfy his clients.

Reigen had finally made it outside. They must have lost Dimple along the way because he was nowhere to be seen. He ran another four or five blocks from the house before his knees collapsed to the floor as he took a moment to catch his breath. He still felt groggy from that blow he got from Mob's barrier, especially his back, all his bones felt achy. Definitely getting too old for this, he thought. When will he get a break? He had his work cut out for him didn't he?

Ritsu was also on his knees next to him, silent but that didn't last long which wasn't surprising. The boy was trembling but stable enough to stand straight up and latch his hands unto the collar of Reigen's suit. This was expected. The wrathful words he spat next held no remorse, equally threatening and accusing. They were salt to the wound, exploiting every insult to the fullest. Reigen just kept his usual calm and collected persona, taking the slander head on. It was only right to let the kid vent out his emotions.

Now this was something Reigen was used to.

"HOW DARE YOU! How DARE you just leave my brother behind like that!? He trusted you! _I trusted you!_ I knew I was a fool to believe that you might have been anything other than the pathetic man you really are."

Reigen didn't say a word. He swallowed every harsh criticism Ritsu lashed at him.

"I finally see you for who you are- _a coward!_ A two faced scum who just leads people on with his _lies_ and scams! _"_ He went on, his grip tightening more and more until his fingers went numb from the pressure. "Aren't you going to say something?!" His hard stare challenging Reigen's surprisingly serious demeanor, practically provoking Reigen to speak up so he had a reason to rip that look off his face because there was no way this man was going to really think that what he did was right. _No way!_

Reigen said nothing.

"Whatever!" releasing his hold, Ritsu shoved Reigen back to the ground. "I'm done with you, you're just wasting my time." Ritsu looked back at the house. "Shige…" he said softly now. "Shige is still in there and he needs me. I...I need to go back…" Ritsu said with a huff of his breath. He quickly turned on his heels heading back in the direction of the house.

Reigen frantically crawled back up on his knees stretching his hand to grab Ritsu's arm. "Stop."

"LET GO OF ME." Ritsu warned as he tried pulling his arm away.

"No, you can't go back there. Mob wouldn't-"

Ritsu growled through his teeth, "I said let go Mr. Reigen!"

Reigen stood his ground. "I can't let you, Mob entrusted me to protect you. You're just being reckless."

"Shut your mouth! You have no right to talk about my brother like he's still your friend. Not after you left him like some trash on the street!" Ritsu barked back enough to cause Reigen face to change into something close to anguish as he avoided looking the kid straight in the eyes.

"That's... not what I… I didn't..." Reigen tried but he couldn't think of a way to justify what he did, Ritsu had him there and he felt small, ashamed compared to Ritsu like a parent scolding a child- no, much worse- definitely much worse than that.

"Now don't make me say it again, I've been holding back Mr. Reigen- for my brother's sake I haven't used my psychic powers on you but you're going to leave me no choice. I won't hesitate any longer."

Sweat rolled down Reigen's brow as he let out a long sigh. He really didn't want to let Ritsu go if it meant that he'd just be running recklessly into peril but testing the angered boy wouldn't be wise either, so with that threat in mind he finally released Ritsu's arm.

The boy yanked away from him. Ritsu was triumphant and it pleased him to know that Reigen knew the clear difference in power and authority between them. "Now don't get in my way." he said before continuing on his way to the house.

Reigen followed of course.

"What do you even think you can do when you get there? Mob is too powerful. You might get hurt or worst!" Riegen tried coaxing as he ran not so far behind from Ritsu.

"I don't care. I just can't leave him there to hurt himself. Like you did." Ritsu said scornfully, provoking a wince like frown from Reigen. "If something happens to him… I won't be able to forgive myself if I was just sitting in the sidelines doing nothing."

"Okay, okay- I get that, I do but do you even have some kind of plan?" Reigen was trying his best to level with him.

Ritsu was quiet because he didn't have a plan. Heck, he didn't even know what to expect out of all this. Yes he was scared but that didn't matter to him anymore. His brother needs his help and that's all there was to it.

"Don't worry, I'll figure something out."

"No I'm worrying, alright!"

As they got closer they could see the storm clouds twisting around above the house. Shredded wood and debris flew in the air. The house was still standing though, that was good considering the huge hole on the rooftop where Ritsu's room once was. Shigeo was in the midst of it all, eyes glowing, hair flying up. He was truly intimidating.

"Oh man...Mob how has it come to this? You poor kid…" Reigen was so fixated on Mob that he didn't see the incoming projectiles of broken objects heading his way.

"Hey watch out!"

Riegen watched what seemed to be a broken bookshelf propelling his way- and fast. Realizing his reaction had been too late, he swung his arms over his head bracing himself for the hard collision but to his surprise Ritsu intervene, using his telekinesis to blast the furniture the opposite direction. He then placed a barrier around them, wind and objects could be seen bouncing off of it as it shimmered bright colors before turning transparent.

Reigen was shook for a moment, "T-Thanks…I-I thought I was a goner."

Ritsu only stared at him, his look was firm and unkind but it was less threatening than his previous attitude towards him. Then with a sigh, Ritsu dropped his shoulders. "Why are you even still here?" He asked half-heartedly.

"Because…" Reigen hesitated. "Because...you and Mob were my responsibility." He said with a drop of his head finally, one hand rubbing the back of his neck anxiously. "And I… I screwed up, okay? I blew it."

Ritsu crosses his arms. "Is that all you have to say for yourself? You think that just because you admitted you were wrong that suddenly everything will be all _fine_ and _dandy_ between us?" Ritsu said with a slight raise of his voice.

"No. No I didn't." Reigen answer pitifully.

"No is exactly right! My brother was sick and you offered your hand- for that I am grateful but as soon as shit hit the fan you want to turn tail and run! My brother was _sick..._ and you left him!" His voice was shaky this time, in the mix of many strong emotions that was ready to give out at any moment, Ritsu held them back.

"I know- I know...I dont know why- or what I was even thinking. Everything was just so…" Reigen sighed much harder and full of frustration as he rubbed his face from his forehead to his temple. "Look…" He continued.

Ritsu turned his head away stubbornly, avoiding to look Reigen in the eyes, the same deceitful eyes that betrayed him once already with false admiration and trust. He wiped his own foggy irises, left still wet by his eyelashes.

"I know that you'll probably never trust me after this- you have every right to but even so…" Reigen sighed again, dropping his arm and daring to look up at Ritsu once more. "I've come this far, I'm not letting you do this alone."

Ritsu sunk his eyes even lower, moving his gaze to the floor as if he was pondering his statement with uncertainty. He was tired, exhausted from all the anger and stress he had poured out, that was clear to see and Reigen felt pretty much the same which gave him more reason why he couldn't let a kid do this on his own.

Ritsu then shot his eyes back up to Reigen, with a new and calmer demeanor. "You should have stayed behind, you'll only be in the way."

Reigen thought it best not to say anything, not that Ritsu given him a chance to, the kid was quick on his feet as he continued on further ahead of him.

The house was a few dozen feet away and it was getting harder to stay to the ground as they got closer, wind was blowing in all directions and Reigen wondered how the neighbors didn't question the strange events, to their luck no one was outside. They'd probably write this off as some bizarre storm that had hit the district suddenly. It be that easy to lie and cover something up like this, he thought to himself. People would believe anything, Reigen knows this first hand and he shook his head at the sad reality of it all.

Ritsu stopped suddenly, almost having Reigen bump into him from behind. They've reached the outside entrance of the house. Ritsu stared up into the eye of the storm that was whirling above them like a raging vortex. It was eerie, endless and captivating. His eyes followed the spiral until it was set on a single figure at the very top.

Shigeo didn't look like himself anymore. Light consumed the white of his eyes making him seem empty… and lifeless. Ritsu clenched his fist, a meager attempt to stop the shaking of his hands. He had only ever seen his seen his brother this way once in his life and it worried him if there was any consciousness left to even get through to him.

"I need to try." Ritsu said to himself. He covered his body with his aura, holding steady, concentrated, and then with a small motion he gently levitated his feet from the floor. This was a first, he had never used his telekinesis to make himself fly before so he was a little unbalanced. Reigen watched intently from the side and Ritsu could already tell he wanted to say something. "What? I'll be alright. I'm going to get Shige back."

Reigen shuffled in his feet. "Just… be careful."

Ritsu nodded. "Thanks but I think you should be more worried about yourself."

"Very well said." Another voice cut in. "Although, I'm afraid Shigeo won't be joining you."

Ritsu froze with high caution as he just realized a man about the same height as Reigen was standing just a few feet behind him. "When did he…?" This man had bypassed his barrier unnoticed. Ritsu swallowed, startled as he dropped back down on flat ground and examined the infiltrator. The man was dressed in a black hoodie, dark hair and grayish green cargo pants. He wore a hard black mask that covered the bottom half of his face up to his nose, only revealing his aqua green eyes.

"You look confused," he said as he approached Ritsu, each step confident.

Ritsu held his ground, trying to look unfazed by the man's unhindered stare that seemed to push him further back on his feet. The closer he got, the more Ritsu's façade crumbled. There was something that told him this man was not to be taken likely.

It didn't take much for Reigen to read the atmosphere so he took this time to step forward, filling the gap between Ritsu and the stranger in front of him. The man stopped, and without turning his head he moved his unblinking eyes to the left where Reigen was, who in return gave the man the best poker face he could muster up and still being the most reasonable adult around, Reigen just had to ask, "Who are you and what do you want with Mob?"

The man was silent, studying Reigen as if reading through his character. Then, like the soft wind, he spoke, "Names aren't important. Just call me...Justice." His voice sounded young yet mature but obviously over legal age. He then moved his attention back to Ritsu. "And as for _Shigeo,_ I assume that's who you were referring to- I will be the one deciding...his _fate_."

"Like hell you are!" Ritsu challenged viciously. "Over my dead body!"

"Oh- I'd be happy to accommodate you with that if you wish to be the one to end your life first." Justice wittily responded, raising one hand slightly from his side.

Reigen quickly held out his arm to prevent the teen from lunging forward. "Wait, calm down Ritsu! We don't know anything about this man!"

"He just threatened my Brother! That's unforgivable!"

"He's right you know, only a coward would hold back." Justice provoked.

"No your wrong. Fighting doesn't make everything right, it only _worsens_ a situation." Reigen argued, emphasizing his last statement to persuade Ritsu mostly. "I don't know why you're after Mob but I must let you know, whatever reasons you may think you have, I know 100% sure my student didn't do anything to deserve this."

"Oh, is that so?" Justice said sarcastically. "And what if I told you that your student _is_ indeed guilty? Would you still believe he doesn't deserve a punishment for his actions?"

"Lies! You know nothing about my Brother, bastard!" Ritsu clenched his teeth, his rage could be seen through his fiery eyes. Reigen had been holding him back but he knew if he allowed this to last any longer, Ritsu would surely lose it.

"No, I don't." Reigen answered, keeping his voice calm even though his stomach kept turning inside out from how nervous he was. "Well... not any cruel kind of punishment for the most part." He specified further just to be sure he was saying it clearly. "In any case, I know Mob hasn't done anything wrong. Besides, an adult that's out for a child's life is even worse than a coward."

It was sickening to Reigen that there were people who would actually be serious about harming a kid. He didn't care what Justice said Mob had done, there was no way he'd stand here and allow this man to hurt him. Now the question whether Reigen had the power to stop him might be a whole matter altogether. Still it was two on one and he told himself that it didn't matter how he intended to protect Mob, he would do so with his life.

Justice did not take his eyes off Reigen, again it was as if he was probing him, looking through him and it gave Reigen the chills. Even with the mask on, he could tell his expression was cold and forbidding.

"That's a shame," Justice said shaking his head with a sigh and placing both hands on his hip. "I was hoping we would come to an understanding but I see now that it's pointless. A person that can make such a weak argument has a sad perspective of how this world works." He then raised his right hand, holding two of his fingers together like some kind of signal. "But enough of this. I've grown bored of you." And finally he waved his two fingers with a two tapped motion.

Movement was caught at the corner of Reigen's eye, catching a quick glimpse of a person to Ritsu's right hand side behind them. The concealed silhouette raised its hands up and Reigen reacted out of pure instinct, instantly pushing Ritsu out of the way. "K-Kid look out!"

There was a quick crack in the air and Ritsu's barrier bursted. An invisible pressure expanded like a wave, hitting Reigen dead-on, sending him flying a few dozen feet the opposite direction. The blast had missed Ritsu and he watched wide-eyed, almost in slow motion as Reigen skid and flopped over the concrete sidewalk like a pebble skipping over the surface of water, then laid still where he had landed.

Ritsu's face dropped into something of shock as he stood in silence, his breath picking up pace, eyes fixated on Reigen's motionless body, desperately trying to pick up any kind of movement or _breathing-_ or _something_ that indicated his brother's master was still alive.

 _Move, move, please move, please… please…_

"Reigen!"

.

.

* * *

 _._

 _._

 _It's cold…_

The air was dense and heavy and it weighed down on Shigeo's shoulders, each breath he took was shaky and hollow, like an extension of his soul it left his body in the form of soft cloudy wisps, then vanished into the atmosphere. There was a pain in his head and it screeched like metal against a chalkboard, it made him weak and dizzy as if the spiralling atmosphere around him wasn't nauseating enough. It almost didn't feel real, like a daydream. Maybe part of that reason was due to how out of place everything felt, like his mind was present but his body felt far and distance.

 _Out of body experience?_

Yeah, that sounded about right. It had to be. Otherwise what would explain the chilling scene in front of him as he watched himself once more, coiled up, trembling in the vast storm. He looked so sad, so empty, so _lost…_ Shigeo then place his own fingertips to his face now, wondering if that's the expression he'd been wearing this entire time.

 _It's cold again…_

Shigeo shivered from the icy feeling that grabbed ahold of his body but this was no ordinary chill. He knew that somehow. He knew that he'd eventually have to return to his body, that there was a time limit to this sort of thing. The thought was ominous and he wasn't sure if he was ready just yet. Going back meant it would hurt all over again, that he'd have to face all of his emotions.

He looked back at his other self, eyes bright like the moon and aura as fierce as the wind. He took a deep breath, closing his eyes, trying not to dwell too hard on the idea of going back. He opened his eyes again, this time glancing down. It was terrible down there, destruction was everywhere. What about his younger brother- and Master Reigen- were they there too? He couldn't tell, it was much too high but he could definitely feel his Brother's power somewhere below and also…a new aura.

There was someone else, two more people. A presence he couldn't recognized. It was odd because one of them felt shrouded and blurry. Shigeo shook his head, concentrating on it made him lightheaded. Whatever it was, that person is down there with his brother. Sudden worry clouded his thoughts about what could be going on during his absence.

Another breathtaking chill casted itself around him and he felt his spirit slowly being pulled with needed urgency. Shigeo didn't resist, it was time to head back now. He closed his eyes anticipating each minute, each second, embedding the moment into his head until he started counting down the numbers aloud.

"Nine...Eight…"

He was nervous, unsure of the vague future ahead of him but he knew he had been gone for far too long. He needed to get over this fear. This fear of himself that seemed to hold him down like chains...

"Six...Five…"

While on the other hand his little brother was down there with that weird ambience of a person he had never felt before. If anything that should be his motivation to rejoin his body.

"Three...Two…"

That's right. He has people waiting for him.

"One."

And that alone is enough.

* * *

 **Author's Notes:**

 **Okay, these characters were introduced much earlier than I had originally intended.. So I might of changed the pace of my entire plot. Oh well... I'll work my way around the idea as it comes to me. Not sure how you feel about my original character, he's pretty generic. I did a drawing of him, just follow the link. I hope adding a made up character doesn't make this story less interesting.**

 **As you can tell I really enjoy writing Ritsu and Reigen's interactions with each other, there's just so much emotion within this boy towards him and I tend to exploit the idea. I had actually intended on not leaving a cliffhanger but the chapter was getting too long. Also Mob's small part was also added last minute because I felt like it'd be a good change in atmosphere to end it with his current situation. Anyway, Tell me your thoughts and thanks for reading!**

 **www . clori-eden . deviantart art/ Justice-OC-669786010**


	8. Chapter 8: New Enemy Hostile Motives

**Author's Notes:  
**

 **So hey, I'm still alive... so here's another 3,601 word chapter. Enjoy!**

 **Summary: Reigen is down leaving Ritsu to fend for himself!**

* * *

 **New Enemy; Hostile Motives**

Thunder crackled as Ritsu's hair blew frantically from the intense wind. With his barrier gone, the screeching storm became deafening, loud howls of gust twisting and turning everywhere. Despite the weather being cold, the boy's face was somewhat paler than usual. Ritsu stood petrified at the sight of his brother's master laying lifeless on the floor, his heart beating twice as fast in anticipation. He must be seeing wrong, there is no way that annoying con-artist would kick the bucket so soon, right? He didn't want to give it a second thought, he desperately called out to him.

"Reigen!"

The voices of two strangers merged with the chaos around him, slowly becoming background noise, hardly registering to the young esper. However, comparing them to Ritsu, his presence felt more like a ghost at this point. He was paralyzed, stuck in a horrible plight of the harsh reality that was playing out in front of him.

Reigen still hasn't moved. Ritsu was afraid to call out to him again, fearing how alone he would feel if he didn't receive a reply back. It was ironic, that moments ago he had threatened Reigen with intentions of doing just the same but to actually see it happen, Ritsu didn't expect it to feel so… so dreadfully _wrong_.

He didn't understand. Why would Reigen's sudden demise hurt him so bad? Why did it leave him with a burning ache of guilt and regret? It wasn't fair. This wasn't how it should have ended— Reigen wasn't supposed to die from all this! Ritsu was sure of that now. That removing Reigen from their life wasn't the answer to their problems— to _his_ problem. It would only hurt Shigeo and that meant he'd only be hurting himself.

Ritsu rushed towards Reigen, completely ignoring his foes who stood mere feet away from him. Reigen was face down on his stomach when he got to him. He carefully turned him over onto his back, quickly placing his head onto Reigen's chest to listen for a heartbeat.

Ritsu sighed with relief, Reigen was still alive.

Shaking his shoulder lightly, Ritsu called his name again. The only response he got was a small pained groan, confirming that he was somewhat okay, most likely just suffering concussion. Knowing he was alive and breathing was enough for Ritsu. The young esper had wanted to check him for more wounds. Yes, that would have probably been the most appropriate course of action to do at this moment. However, Ritsu didn't have that kind of time, not with the enemy right in front of them.

"Idiot," as Ritsu heard Justice say this, he automatically thought the comment was meant for him. He quickly tensed, turning around ready for a fight but soon paused as he realized it was directed to the younger person beside Justice, he stood there surprised.

"That man was not an esper. You hit the _wrong_ one," continued Justice, a hint of agitation coursed through his slightly raised voice.

"Oops…" the young teen casually said with a bored tone. His dark onyx eyes met with his partner's. "What difference does it make?"

"The _difference_ Aki, is your inability to follow orders. It's becoming a nuisance."

The black haired teen frowned.

"I told you to stop calling me that. These names you made for us, they sound stupid." He rolled his eyes, clearly making his attitude known. "And it wasn't my fault! That fucking idiot out of _nowhere_ decides to jump in my way at the last second. Serves him right for being so stupid!"

The insult seemed to vex through Ritsu with an unrelenting vengeance as he snapped his full attention to the teen now. His aura intensified, flickering wildly around him. Even against all his best efforts to try to stay calm and attentive, it surely seemed impossible now. His emotions gradually started to crumble apart. Lightning rippled through the clouds of Shigeo's storm and a roar of thunder vibrated the atmosphere as Ritsu stepped forward from where he was standing.

"Do you have any idea what you've done!" shouted Ritsu in anger. Aki spared him a quick glance before turning his attention back at Justice, practically ignoring him.

"Sooo, do I finish this one off or not?" he asked pointing at Ritsu with his thumb over his shoulder. The question was so painfully obvious it was almost insulting to Justice who merely shot the teen another sharp glare.

"Stop asking these pointless questions and just follow the plan, I will not say it again," Justice said to Aki, who looked completely offended by his remark. "With that said, where is the mask I told you to wear? Can't you do anything right?"

"Ugh, that ugly thing again? I don't see the point. If my job is to dispose of our targets then there's not much of a problem if they see my face. It wouldn't matter in the end, am I right?"

Justice lowered his eyes at him. "I want it done Aki, I will not tolerate any more mistakes." he dismissed.

With a sigh through his breath, Aki mumbled an aggravated response as he watched Justice fade into the Kageyama's house. He turned back around to face Ritsu, sighing yet again, uninterested.

Ritsu could already tell from his attitude that he was being underestimated, maybe even belittled. It was that very mindset that Ritsu hoped he could gain an advantage over. This person seemed very arrogant unlike his partner. He also didn't look that much older than himself. _A teenager,_ Ritsu thought.

 _I could take him._

Aki swiped his long straight bangs out of his right eyes view, curling it behind his ear to hold it in place. He licked his dry lips before he spoke.

"Talk about a scary face. You're making me uncomfortable, glaring at me like that."

Ritsu didn't say anything, he didn't want to indulge him with small talk if it meant prolonging this any longer than it has already. The younger esper prepared his protective barrier over his body. Ritsu was not letting his guard down this time.

"Whoa, the silent serious type, huh? What happened to all that energy you were pouring out moments ago against Mr. Bossy over there? That's no fun." Aki paused waiting for some kind of answer.

Ritsu said nothing.

"Fine. I guess you're still mad about what I did to your buddy back there," he said, leaning to his left for a better view of Reigen on the floor behind Ritsu. "But then again, why should you be? You didn't seem to care much about him either. If anything you should be thanking me for doing you a favor. I mean, he was the one that stood in the way of your brother's trust for you, wasn't he?"

Ritsu widened his eyes.

"Wait, how did you...?" uttered Ritsu in disbelief.

 _Just how did this guy know all this?_

Ritsu clenched his teeth shut, trying his best to hide the upsetting expression planted on his face. He didn't want to show that his words got to him, although that might have already been too late. The only person Ritsu had ever revealed that to was his brother Shigeo and that was not until earlier today, so _how?_ Ritsu shook his head from his thoughts. There was no time in trying to figure this out now.

He'd just have to beat the answers out of him.

"The only person standing in the way of my brother is you," Ritsu held his hand loose in front of him, concentrating his powers to the edge of his fingertips until it flickered like luminescent flames. "So step aside."

Aki raised his chin as he stood up, straightening himself a bit taller as he lowered his eyes down at Ritsu. "Hmmm, straight to the point. Maybe I have dragged this longer than I should have. No use in asking questions I already know the answer to, right? Why don't—"

Ritsu wasn't going to let him finish, if he wanted to end this, he needed to attack now while he has the chance. Whether it was dirty or dishonorable didn't matter to him. After all, this was the same person who had just ambushed them from the shadows with no remorse. With quick dash like movements of his telekinesis, Ritsu was able to get close to him. He swung his arm releasing his full force but nothing made contact.

Aki had slipped right through his strike by the mere brush of their skin. Ritsu made a startled yelp as his hair was tightly pulled and not a second later the air was knocked out of his lungs, shattering his barrier. Aki's knee etched into Ritsu's stomach, bruising his skin from the impact, leaving a tender pain in his core.

"Whoa, whoa there! You nearly had me. He was right about you, you're feisty!" exclaimed Aki, releasing his grip on the younger boy's hair, he quickly spun his leg around.

Ritsu watched a wide grin spread across Aki's face before his foot collided against his abdomen, constricting his already empty lungs once more and lunging him across the floor. He was left lying on his side coughing and heaving desperately for air. When he tried getting up, he was hit with a sudden dizziness that kept him still on his hands and knees. There was a pause, then suddenly Ritsu tightened his hand around his belly and vomited onto the pavement. It was unbearable.

"Eww, was that the soup from earlier? That's so gross."

Ritsu scowled, he was tired of this guy.

"How do you even know that— Just who the hell are you!" snarled Ritsu, spitting the nasty saliva from his mouth.

"Oh, _now_ you want to ask questions? Are you trying to buy yourself time after realizing that you have no hope in winning? That's pretty desperate."

Ritsu detested how Aki gloated at his unforeseen victory. The way Aki made him look so pathetic took a blow on Ritsu's ego. It was completely humiliating. He wondered just how terrible he must look in this condition. Tremors shook throughout his body, with bruises and scrapes all over his arms and legs, cold sweat running down his face as he still panted for the necessary oxygen to fill his lungs.

Ritsu couldn't stand it!

His strategy had failed. A miscalculation; a careless mistake. It made him realize, this person had already been aware of his abilities.

"There's no way you could be finished with just those two blows." Aki waved his hands upward. "C'mon, let's get more acquainted. This can't be your full potential."

This was just a game to him, thought Ritsu as he sucked his teeth. He pushed himself up from the floor and stood back on his two feet. He was far from done and he wasn't going to let this person intimidate him.

 _Focus, Focus._

He took a deep breath and another barrier strengthened around Ritsu. "Alright then, if you won't tell me, I guess I'll play your little game."

The younger esper raised his defenses, arms up, hands balled into fist. This time he wasn't going to be hasty. He'll wait until he makes the first move, this was Ritsu's safest bet. What made this difficult was that Aki seemed to know a lot about Ritsu than he did about him, which left Ritsu at a huge disadvantage. Furthermore, based on the recent attack, this teenager seemed more experienced in close combat.

Ritsu wasn't really a fighter. Even when he awakened his powers, he solely relied on its strength to fight his battles. He had no real skill or strategy when it came to the physical part of the fight. He watched Aki closely and for a brief moment they had locked eyes.

The older teen flashed a smile, in an instant his movements blurred and Ritsu tensed, just barely making out his position. A wave exploded in the air as their barriers collided. Ritsu was able to evade the blow while at the same time countering the next hit with a force from his own arm, completely blocking the assault. They both stumbled back from each other.

"Not bad, you're pretty good." Aki praised.

Ritsu didn't care much to respond, his heart was pounding much louder in his ears than he would like to admit.

"Back at the house you were pretty vigilant too, for a brat. I wasn't expecting you to pinpoint my position so quickly. It was kind of annoying actually."

Ritsu furrowed his eyebrows, blinking with a sudden clarity. "So that was _your_ aura I was sensing earlier." He lowered his eyes now, contemplating the past events. "But that doesn't explain how you knew what we were doing? That's unless…" Ritsu paused again, raising his head back to the older teen. "Unless, you were in the house with us."

"Well there's no use in denying it now." Aki shrugged. "My uncle was chewing down my throat because of you. Talking about how I was _jeopardizing_ the entire operation and how I need to learn how to control my powers better and blah, blah, blah— God— I'm honestly glad it's all over. I think sneaking around is such a headache."

"That man is your uncle?"

"Oops, did I let that slip out? Whatever," He shrugged again, nonchalantly. Suddenly his mood changed, and his words became more serious. "That just gives me more reason to finish you off."

Another nearly invisible attack flashed by Ritsu, almost too fast to see clearly. If he hadn't stumbled on his feet it would have been too late. He quickly regained his balance, dodging the fast kick that swiped soon after, cutting the air in half with its psychic energy. Ritsu's barrier broke once again but no harm had been done to him. He quickly rushed to put up a new one. As long as the blows didn't make physical contact the barrier should be enough to absorb the impact from Aki's psychic power.

Aki didn't pull back any of his punches either. They were strong and focused but that also made them readable. However, that didn't matter because his attacks were equally fast and consistent. It barely gave Ritsu a chance to retaliate. He was left on the defensive, anticipating each strike with no rooms for error.

Failing meant losing his brother to these strangers without ever knowing why. The thought angered Ritsu more than it scared him. Which is why he continued to press on and fight with everything he had. Ritsu needed to win this fight!

Unfortunately, the young esper was becoming exhausted. With no rest since the day before, there was only so much his body would allow him to do. He was at his limit. Every breath Ritsu exhaled became heavier, his body slowed with each movement until finally after blocking the next attack he fell onto one knee.

"That's all you're capable of, huh?" Aki said with a disappointing shake of his head. With his sleeve, the teen swiped the sweat off his face. Aki knew he was close to exhaustion but that didn't stop him from standing taller than his younger opponent. "What a bore," Aki added, making his way to Ritsu, who was trying with the best of his ability to stand back up on his two feet. "Don't bother, I'll make this quick."

Ritsu raised his head up, watching helplessly as Aki was slowly closing in on him. He stood there frozen at the cold realization: he was going to be killed and Justice was headed in the same direction as his brother to do the same. Panic rose through Ritsu's chest.

 _This can't be happening!_

Aki was standing over him now. He raised his leg up until his foot was a little above the younger esper boy's head.

"Goodbye."

The older teen concentrated his power in his right foot and dropped his leg down with enough pressure it could bash Ritsu's skull right open. A loud crack was made along with one horrific scream that echoed in the air. Aki made a confused face as he looked down. His foot had broken something but it wasn't Ritsu's head. Before he was given a chance to make another move, a sudden blow hit the older teen against his chest. It launched him several feet across the street until he bashed into a neighboring house.

Aki crawled between the rubble of wood. With blurry vision, he tried to raise his head to look over at Ritsu, trying to get a grasp of what had happened.

"What the hell…?" Aki wheezed. His grimace wide enough to reveal some bloody teeth by the edge of his mouth. If he wasn't angry before, he was surely pissed now.

Ritsu didn't look back up at Aki though, he remained still, subtly breathing to himself as if he had forced out the world around him. He just stood where he was with his head down. His left hand was cradling his shaking right arm, the long sleeve that once covered it was shredded and torn apart. A huge bruise could be seen pigmenting his swollen skin with dark pinks and purples about the size of a football, it covered the entire top of his forearm. He had been too late to form a protective barrier strong enough to block the blow, so instead he used his arm to shield his head. As a result, the shock and pain he received had been too much for him to handle, causing his powers to release around him rapidly.

Aki weakly sat himself up, trying to ignore the pain from his back and torso. He shuddered slightly as he tried to lean back onto his arms. He stared up at the cloudy grey sky, letting his head fall slightly with his neck.

"Ah! You're a fucking pain… doing some shit like that out of nowhere… after I thought you had given up," the teen was clearly still out of breath as he spoke.

He looked back at Ritsu, eyeing the rounded thick barrier that surrounded him. It was massive and it glistened with Ritsu's aura, vibrating vividly you could almost hear it. The teenager stood up, he walked to the barrier placing his hand on it.

"This was a desperate move, does this mean you plan on running away?"

Ritsu didn't dare speak, he was too busy biting back the whimpers from the stabbing pain in his arm. He was sure Aki had broken it but surprisingly Ritsu still could still move some fingers, even though doing so made his wrist burn like fire. Whether it was broken or fractured made no difference to Ritsu, either way, it was no use to him now. He was clearly in no condition to fight. Ritsu had lost. He was only still alive through the same miracle that had formed this barrier, subconsciously forced out of him with the last ounce of willpower he held onto.

A loud bashing noise caused Ritsu to finally look forward. There he saw Aki striking his barrier. Each _thud_ and _whack_ made Ritsu flinch, expecting the shield to break at any moment, which might be inevitable at this rate.

"Hey! Fucking respond to me when I'm speaking to you! If you think this barrier is enough to keep me out you have another thing coming— you can't hide in there forever!" Aki yelled violently. His threats became fuel to his attacks, every kick and punch smashed harder, creating cracks and dents on the surface.

Adrenaline pumped through Ritsu, his mind was racing, suddenly feeling numb to everything like his body was getting him ready for battle, or perhaps something _worse._ He needed to get out, get as far away from here as he can, live to fight another day because this match would surely kill him. Ritsu hissed as he let go if his right arm, allowing it to slump slowly to his side. With his good arm, he pushed against the ground and willed his legs to stand up once more. Just as he thought about turning to run, his legs wouldn't— no, they just couldn't. There was no way he could bring himself to abandon Reigen, much less leave his brother to the mercy of these people.

Ritsu chose to stand and face his enemy.

A fist busted through the hard barrier and it shattered like glass, the fragments dispersed until they were nothing but glitter and dust in the air. Breaking that barrier took more of his strength than he thought it would. Aki leaned forward with both hands on his knees trying to catch his breath, "Oh, what's this? I thought you'd run for sure."

"I thought so too," whispered Ritsu. His trembling arm felt numb now, pins and needles ran down from his lower forearm to his fingertips. He tried moving the weak hand experimentally but immediately jolted at the sharp pain that followed. It hurt— a lot actually! He swerved a step back, feeling lightheaded for a moment. "Damn."

Aki scoffed, "You're either stupid or insane."

"Maybe I am… who knows?" Ritsu mused, shaking his head, fighting the dizziness. "I'm not even sure at this point… how I plan to go about this." Ritsu blinked once, returning his attention back at the older teen, eyes sharp. A weary grin suddenly emerged from his lips, one that daunted Aki, making his foe grit his teeth nervously.

The storm had finally stopped.

"All I know, is that I won't let you leave here. Not without paying you back for what you did to my arm."

* * *

 **Author's Note's:**

 **Wow I can't believe it has almost been 2 years since I've updated this story. I'm so sorry guys... T_T**

 **I have some artwork I did for this chapter, if any are interested in viewing.**

 **1) Please Be Alive! ( www. deviantart clori-eden /art/ Please-Be-Alive-780622640 )**

 **2) Shield, A Last Resort! ( www. deviantart clori-eden /art/ Shield-A-Last-Resort-780623323 )  
**


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